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Tim Stevens/CNET
Those considering the newly priced Apple Watch can rejoice: the company’s warranty policies are friendlier than usual.
A standard purchase of any Apple Watch model includes a free full year of hardware repair coverage and 90 days of complimentary support. As you go up the quality ladder and throw in Apple’s new AppleCare+ warranty, the coverage improves.
For instance, for the middle-tier stainless steel Apple Watch — which starts at $550 — and the cheaper, $350 aluminum Apple Watch Sport, complimentary hardware support extends to two years with the additional warranty purchase. The company does not detail how much AppleCare+ will cost.
Screenshot by Nick Statt/CNET
“AppleCare+ for Apple Watch extends your coverage to two years from the original purchase date of your Apple Watch and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee plus applicable tax,” the company says on its website.
That means while some instances of damage may be remedied free of charge, some more serious instances like broken displays may incur a fee. That’s par for the course for Apple, which still charges customers a fee to repair broken iPhone screens even with AppleCare coverage.
Apple finally delved into more detail about its smartwatch Monday at its “Spring Forward” event in San Francisco. Though Apple showed off new features, app partnerships and an ambitious new medical research software platform, everyone’s attention became singularly focused on the Apple Watch’s price range, with a top-end model going for as much as $17,000.
With those prices, you’d expect a more fair warranty policy and Apple appears to have taken that into account when designing AppleCare+.
Here’s a full breakdown of coverage depending on which model you purchase and whether you opt for additional coverage:
| Apple Watch Sport (aluminum case) | Apple Watch (stainless steel case) | Apple Watch Edition (18-karat gold case) |
| Price: $350-$400 | Price: $550-$1,100 | Price: $10,000-$17,000 |
| 1 year of complimentary hardware support coverage |
1 year of complimentary hardware support coverage |
2 years of complimentary hardware support cover |
| 90 days of additional complimentary phone and in-store support |
90 days of additional complimentary phone and in-store support |
2 years of additional complimentary phone and in-store support |
| AppleCare+ extends hardware and phone support to 2 years | Apple Care+ extends hardware and phone support to 2 years | AppleCare+ extends hardware and phone support to 3 years |
