So you bought a new Apple Watch and you’re being careful not to scratch, break or lose it. But once that newness wears off and you let your guard down, that miniature iPhone you wear on your wrist can quickly become a victim to every object you accidentally swing your arm into, resulting in any kind of damage, including a cracked screen.
When you’ve already shelled out between $400 and $800 for an Apple Watch, chances are you’re thinking twice about paying even more for an extended warranty or insurance. And even though your watch comes with a limited one year warranty, it won’t cover an accidental broken screen. For that kind of repair, you’ll need insurance.
Below, we’ve compared the costs of getting your Apple Watch repaired with and without insurance to help you decide which type of insurance, if any, is best for you — from AppleCare and insurance from your phone carrier like Verizon to an insurer such as Asurion to even your credit card company. For more, here’s our take on the new iPhone 15 and the new Pixel 8.
Apple warranty vs. insurance: What’s the difference?
Apple includes a limited one-year warranty with each Apple hardware product you buy, and that includes the Apple Watch. With as many as 200 million watches sold, according to some estimates, that’s a lot of warranties.
However, that free warranty only covers “defects in materials and workmanship.” Here’s what’s not covered.
Batteries or protective coatings.
Cosmetic damage, including dents and broken plastic on ports.
Damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, fire, earthquake or other external cause.
Defects caused by normal wear and tear.
Loss or theft.
If you don’t have insurance, for those kinds of repairs you’re on your own. If you do purchase insurance — whether through Apple or a third-party insurer — all of the above is generally covered for your Apple Watch with the exception of loss or theft. And you can find coverage for loss and theft too.