Is a One Year Limited Apple Warranty Enough Protection?

Apple's vast lineup of products span the gamut from smartphones and tablets to high-end laptops and over-the-ear headphones. While the tech giant has always had a reputation for cutting-edge design and aesthetics, the overall reliability of its offerings has been surprisingly inconsistent at times.

Purchasing an Apple device represents a significant investment — and not only because Apple products are some of the most expensive devices in their marketplace. Their importance in our daily lives must also be considered. Apple enthusiasts rely on their devices for work, play, and family life.

With all this in mind, it's important to scrutinize the warranty coverage provided by Apple. Is a one-year limited Apple warranty enough coverage to give you peace of mind and financial protection? We'll delve into details below to help you decide for yourself.

Apple's iPhone has been a massive success ever since it was launched in 2006. Still, it has its downsides — and from a durability standpoint, every purchase represents a real risk to the owner.

While early hardware failure was to be expected from a device making its worldwide debut, Apple's original smartphone was surprisingly reliable. Sadly, this trend did not continue.

In 2018, a report by security firm Blancco raised the eyebrows of Apple enthusiasts by stating that the iPhone 6 had a shocking 22 percent failure rate. The 6S was not far behind at a disappointing 16 percent.

The failures highlighted in this report primarily occurred after the one-year warranty period had expired. Unfortunately this is often the case with electronic devices. Further, it means the users are stuck with a bricked phone and costly repair bills.

The beauty of a new iPad or MacBook Pro screen really is a sight to see. It also should be a compelling reason to invest in extra protection. Higher resolutions and OLED models are released with every new iteration. So it's never been more important to protect gorgeous screens from damage.

Dead pixels and scratches are the two most common sources of misery for iPad and MacBook owners. Right now, you might have a hard time getting a replacement screen from Apple due to some seemingly arbitrary internal rules.

Of course, the screen isn't the only part of your laptop or tablet that can be damaged. The various ports are also prone to failure. This can be prompted by a combination of dirt and dust. Bent cables and chargers can also cause problems if plugged into these devices.

Such wear and tear issues can certainly be problematic within the one-year window for repair, but that's only the beginning. More often than not, ports failing will be an issue several years into a device's life, and thus, not covered by Apple's warranty. Even the most cautious users will slip up from time to time and put their devices in harm's way. This begs the question: will you ever need to utilize your warranty in the first place?

In a perfect world, you would never need a warranty of any kind because your devices would never break. In Apple's perfect world, consumers would buy the newest version of the iPhone, iPad, or MacBook and always remain within that one-year warranty period. Unfortunately, we don't live in this hypothetical utopia.

Accidents are a natural part of living with advanced, yet vulnerable devices. Whether those incidents involve user accidents, like dropping your device, or issues beyond your control, such as dead pixels, it's important to obtain warranty coverage that's realistic. This is especially important as hardware manufacturers make it more and more difficult to repair your own devices.

When your Apple products fail, it will almost certainly occur outside of the one-year standard warranty period. In essence, this brief timeframe makes the typically Apple warranty all but useless. While the one-year warranty limited Apple warranty seems like a nice bargain, it's basically lip service — something you won't really need until it's too late.

If you're unwilling to settle for a limited warranty from Apple, you can take comfort in knowing that an excellent alternative exists: subscription warranty coverage from Upsie. Extended warranties from Upsie are affordable, comprehensive and reliable. You can feel confident that your Apple products will be promptly returned to working order if they ever break.

At Upsie, they offer a variety of options for obtaining expert repairs, or, when necessary, full replacements. Their goal is to help you make full use of your beloved Apple devices without worrying about the cost of repairs or replacements.