Restorations for the watch will cost $499 if you don’t hold AppleCare Plus, according to an estimating tool on Apple’s website. That’s more than the $299 repair for an entry-level Series 8.
Apple raised the Apple Watch Ultra, a $799 wearable for people experiencing extreme activities like climbing mountains, running ultra-marathons, or diving.
Unfortunately, breaking its screen, button, sensors, or other parts while doing any of the hyperactivity could be very expensive.
Bringing the battery replaced on an Ultra will also cost more than it would for Apple’s less intense watches, coming in at $99 instead of $79. That makes sense; the Ultra likely has a much larger battery than the Series 8, given that Apple calculates it’ll last twice as long.
While you get that it’s always fun to poke at Apple’s sometimes out-there pricing, you still sometimes giggle at the $19 microfiber polishing cloth — you do somewhat comprehend why the Ultra’s repairs will cost so much. Apple Watches are typically tiny and glued together, and neither of those factors makes for effortless maintenance. That more or less goes Apple with two options when you transmit your broken watch; it can just recycle it and ship you a refurbished one, or it can engage folks with excellent skills to repair it. Unfortunately, neither of those options is precisely cheap.
Acceptable or not, the Ultra’s high repair price isn’t unique. For instance, apple estimates you’d have to pay $499 to get a Titanium Series 7 Edition repaired, given that the Ultra is made from the same material. (A footnote does state that shipping is free for Apple Watch Editions, where you have to spend for it otherwise. Apple didn’t immediately respond for comment on whether it’d cover shipping for the Ultra too.) Those aren’t even the most expensive repairs; if you break your ceramic Series 5, you could be out $800 if you desire it fixed without AppleCare Plus.
Speaking of AppleCare, though, that’s the solution here. Apple’s protection strategy for the Ultra is $100 upfront (or $4.99 a month), hitting repairs to a much more effortless $79. If you obtain your Ultra repaired even once — and let’s encounter it if you’re the “outdoor adventurers” Apple’s marketing the watch to, you’ll presumably have to at some point — you’ll come out way ahead with AppleCare. Plus, Apple just created it, so the policy covers unlimited repairs instead of just two a year, which is a boon for those pushing themselves and their gear to their limits.
AppleCare+ is Apple’s brand name for their devices’ extended warranty and technical support plans. AppleCare+ extends the devices’ one-year limited warranty and 90 days of technical support. It also possesses unlimited repairs for accidental damage restoration at discounted prices every 12 months.
The AppleCare Protection Plan is open for many Apple products, including Mac computers and displays, iPhones and iPads, Apple Watches, Beats Headphones, HomePods, and Apple TVs. In addition, AppleCare plans contain Apple software associated with the covered hardware. Customers can also purchase additional support and training via AppleCare.
Every iPad, iPod, iPhone, Apple Display, Apple TV, Apple Watch, HomePod, Mac, and AirPods comes with positive telephone technical support and a limited warranty from Apple. In addition, the AppleCare Protection Plan and AppleCare+ extend the service coverage and provide one-stop service and support from Apple experts.
Apple sells the AppleCare Protection Plan and its authorized resellers for Apple TV and AirPort exclusively and must be communicated at the time of buy, or AppleCare Protection Plan must be bought within 30 days in Japan and 60 days where available. AppleCare+ is an add-on buy with every Apple Watch, iPad, Apple Display, iPod, iPhone, HomePod, Mac, and AirPods at the time of buying; otherwise, AppleCare+ or AppleCare Protection Plan must be bought within 30 days in Japan and in 60 days where available.