You now have up to a year to add AppleCare+ to your iPhone, so go insure yourself

By Lulu Chang March 18, 2017

Apple iPhone SE — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Good news, Apple iPhone owners (who also happen to be butterfingers). According to a new report from MacRumors, customers that purchase a new Apple smartphone now have up to a year to add on AppleCare+ to their delicate devices. This is a huge improvement from the previous time window of just 60 days, giving customers a lot more opportunity to discover how easy it is to cause damage to a device you use just about every moment of your life.

While Apple hasn’t updated the fine print on its own website, MacRumors has confirmed the new policy “with a senior AppleCare advisor,” the website reported. So what does this new window of opportunity mean for you? In essence, you can add AppleCare+ to your device as long as it’s still in its one-year limited warranty period. But, be warned — if you already have done something to your device that would require AppleCare+’s attention (like crack your screen), you’re out of luck. Alas, Apple will do a physical inspection to buy the insurance policy in-store, and a remote diagnostic test if you elect to make the purchase online.

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But if you have a history of dropping your phone on concrete or are worried that your shiny new iPhone 7 may not be quite as hardy as you, this could be the time to add on Apple’s care package. After all, it dropped the price of screen repairs from $99 to $29 just last year, so it can’t hurt to have that peace of mind.

The change to the iPhone AppleCare+ policy means that the company has now standardized its warranty process for its smartphone, Mac, and Apple TV — owners of all these devices now have the option of buying AppleCare+ up to a year after purchasing the hardware.

As per MacRumor’s sources, this new extension only applies to the iPhone, though it includes any and all iPhones sold within the last year.

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