The Best iPhone 12 Warranty Plan? It’s Not AppleCare+

The iPhone 12 lineup is solid. There are four impressive phones to choose from at a range of sizes and price points. In fact, the iPhone 12 family is Apple’s first family of 5G phones, giving you access to better coverage and higher speeds in many places.

A phone this valuable to your everyday life needs extended warranty protection. Not to mention, this year’s iPhones are as expensive as they’ve ever been, with the standard iPhone 12 starting at $829.

If you’re looking for the best iPhone 12 warranty plan, it’s tempting to go with AppleCare+ without looking any further. After all, AppleCare+ is an Apple product with the same level of great customer service that keeps you buying iPhones in the first place. It’s comforting to think that you can just drop by the Apple Store for any problems you may encounter. And while that’s not exactly how AppleCare+ works, it’s precisely the image Apple wants you to have.

AppleCare+ has its strengths, and many customers do have great experiences with it. Still, the best iPhone 12 extended warranty plan isn’t AppleCare+ – it’s Upsie.

Here’s why.

AppleCare+ is an impressive product in many ways, but there are some significant drawbacks. One of the biggest? The cost to buy it in the first place.

Apple Insider reports that AppleCare+ for the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini costs $149, while the same plan for the Pro and Pro Max costs $199. Those prices don’t include coverage for theft and loss, though. If you want to add theft and loss coverage, it’ll cost another $70 for any phone in the iPhone 12 family.

That’s as much as $269 for coverage, which only provides any value if you need to make a claim.

Apple also offers a monthly pay option for coverage, but you’ll pay more over the two-year term this way.

These upfront costs are bad enough. But then, when you do make a claim, you’ll have to spend even more.

AppleCare+ isn’t just expensive to buy, it’s also expensive to use. If you need to make a claim on AppleCare+ due to accidental damage (or theft or loss, if you pay for that additional service), you’ll be shelling out some significant additional cash.

Screen repairs are fairly reasonable, with a modest $29 deductible. So if you shatter your screen without damaging anything inside, it’s not too bad.

But any other repair whatsoever? You’ll have to hand over $99 to get it repaired through AppleCare+. A claim for theft or loss is even higher, at $149.

AppleCare+ is available in one and only one length: two years from the purchase date of your device. Now, if you only plan to keep your phone for two years, this might not matter so much. But if you hold onto your device for longer (like more and more people are doing), you’ll be completely uncovered in that third year (and beyond).

AppleCare+ coverage is easy to buy when you buy a brand-new (or refurbished by Apple) iPhone, directly from the company. It’s possible to add AppleCare+ to a new phone purchased from another retailer as well, though it’s not quite as smooth to do so.

But what you can’t do? It’s not possible to buy AppleCare+ on a used iPhone.

This isn’t terribly surprising, given Apple’s high-touch, image-conscious culture, where the company can’t exactly verify the condition of that used phone before providing warranty service.

But it’s still a significant limitation. Millions of iPhones with plenty of life left in them are sold on used marketplaces or social sites each year. If you buy last year’s phone at a discount this way, you may well want to protect it. But Apple won’t help you do so.

A better alternative to AppleCare+ is an extended warranty that beats Apple on its weak points and meets it on its strengths. And that’s exactly what you get with an Upsie warranty for your iPhone 12.

Upsie’s extended warranties start at $115.99 for the iPhone 12 priced at $799, $139.99 for the iPhone 12 Pro priced at $999, and $169.99 for the iPhone 12 Pro Max priced at $1,099. Their warranties are priced based on the purchase price of your device, so it’s easy to calculate what you’ll pay.

Upsie’s deductibles are lower as well, at $49 for an accidental damage claim and $99 for replacements. You also get unlimited claims up to the purchase price of the device.

With Upsie, you can cover used phones as well as new, and you have 120 days from purchase to activate your new warranty. You can even choose your own repair shop, including the Genius Bar in most cases, or prepaid mail-in service.

When you choose Upsie for your iPhone 12 extended warranty, you save on every front and get the same quality service as with AppleCare+. For that reason, Upsie is the best iPhone warranty plan you can purchase today.