Apple published its out-of-warranty iPhone Duo repair prices today, and the inner display is $999. Apple's repair page lists it, and The Verge reported it, as first reported by MacRumors. Pre-orders open Friday, Oct. 16, at 8 a.m. ET, so here is the math on AppleCare+.
What Apple charges
Apple's repair page lists these out-of-warranty estimates for the iPhone Duo (read 2:06 p.m. ET), before tax, with shipping possibly added and Apple Authorized Service Providers setting their own prices. The with-AppleCare+ column is from MacRumors.
| Repair | Without AppleCare+ | With AppleCare+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cover layer damage | $49 | $19 |
| Back glass damage | $199 | $29 |
| Outer display damage | $379 | $29 |
| Inner display damage | $999 | $99 |
| Battery service | $229 | $0 (below 80% capacity) |
| Other damage | $1,499 | $99 |
Apple's fee schedule lists AppleCare+ fees of $99 for inner display and other accidental damage, $29 for outer display and back glass, and $19 for cover layer. Apple's AppleCare page says a battery under 80 percent of original capacity is covered at no additional fee.
The Verge reports AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for the Duo costs $19.99 a month, $199.99 a year or a flat $399. Those are The Verge's figures. Apple's fee schedule lists a $149 fee for theft or loss.
The break-even math
Take one cracked inner display, the repair Apple prices highest after "other damage."
- No plan: $999.
- Flat plan: $399 plus the $99 fee is $498, which is $501 less than $999. The Verge gives no coverage term for the flat price.
- Monthly plan: $19.99 a month for 45 months is $899.55. Add one $99 claim fee and the total is $998.55, still below $999 through month 45.
- Annual plan: four years at $199.99 is $799.96, plus $99 is $898.96. A fifth year makes it $1,098.95, which is more than $999.
Each inner-display claim saves $900 ($999 minus $99). Dividing the $399 flat price by $900 gives about 0.44, so the plan breaks even if you expect to file a little under half an inner-display claim, on average. One such claim leaves you ahead. "Other damage" saves $1,400 a claim ($1,499 minus $99).
Smaller repairs do not clear $399 alone. A back glass saves $170 ($199 minus $29), and a cover layer saves $30. A battery under 80% capacity saves $229.
The Galaxy Z Fold
Samsung sells the Galaxy Z Fold8 from $1,899.99 before trade-in, and the 1TB unlocked model is $2,499.99. Samsung Care+ lists cracked-screen repair at $0 a claim with Theft and Loss and $29 a claim with Care+. Replacement deductibles range from $99 to $199 by device.
Samsung's pages don't list a Fold8 Care+ price or an out-of-warranty inner-screen price, so we can't run the same math for the Fold yet.
Who should buy it
Buy the plan if one $999 bill would hurt, you carry the phone without a case, or you want Theft and Loss replacement. On the Duo, a plan with a $99 fee turns the priciest repairs into a bill you can plan for.
You can skip it if you could absorb a $999 or $1,499 bill, or you use a case such as Apple's $79 Duo Case. Check existing card or carrier coverage before buying.
Our call
Our read, from the prices above and not from testing: after one inner-display claim, the $399 flat plan plus the $99 fee costs less than the $999 repair. Without a stated coverage term for the flat price, we would not rank it against monthly. A cased phone and a buyer with savings can reasonably skip.
For setup steps before Friday, see our pre-order checklist. For the open heat question, see the hinge story. The Duo starts at $1,999 and Apple's release puts availability at Oct. 23.
