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iPad Warranty Shodown: Squaretrade vs. AppleCare
Update- Save 35% on Squaretrade iPad warranty with this coupon: 35SAVE, redemptions limited to 5000 so hury! One accessory for the iPad we have not yet covered here is perhaps the absolute most important accessory of them all, in fact we are smacking ourselves for not reviewing it sooner: iPad warranty! If you get one accessory and one accessory only for your brand new shiny Apple tablet, it had better be a nice new shiny iPad warranty. But what warranty should you buy for the iPad? In this review two contenders face off in the ring: Squaretrade’s iPad warranty versus Apple’s Legendary AppleCare. Are you ready to Rrrrrrrrrumbleeeee!!
Stuff breaks let’s face it, and no cover or protector is going to provide absolute protection for your iPad, although the Otterbox Defender and a Zagg invisibleSHIELD come pretty close… but even those can only provide physical protection, and do nothing for manufacturer defects and the inner workings of your iPad. The last thing anybody wants is a very well protected shiny brickPad (patent pending).
Right now there are two major contenders on the field for offering iPad warranty: in the left corner we have the legendary: AppleCare protection plan for the iPad, and in the right corner we have the newcomer: Squaretrade’s iPad Warranty. Both are strong packages with a lot of weight behind them, but which is better?
AppleCare Protection Plan for the iPad
Price: $90
What You Get:
• 2 year iPad, iPad battery, and iPad hardware coverage (1 year comes standard with the purchase of your iPad, AppleCare extends that to 2 years)
• One stop technical phone support by Apple trained experts (only 90 days come complimentary with your iPad purchase, AppleCare extends that to 2 years)
• Software support and assistance for all your software and iPad use questions
The Skinny:
AppleCare has been around for a long time and their support staff is legendary. When it comes to getting your questions answered, and getting top quality tech support over the phone and at their stores, Apple is second to none. There’s nothing better than knowing that any time your device breaks, you can call them up and either fix it over the phone or send it in for repairs by trained Apple technicians. Free consults with the strangely attractive Apple geniuses at any Apple retail store. Typically we shy away from buying AppleCare on more robust products like their desktop computers which are easily serviceable and rarely break. However, on the portable devices like the MacBook, iPod, and iPad, some form of warranty is essential and AppleCare is a good choice. However, this warranty comes up short in one or two major areas: it does not cover accidental damage, namely: drop damage and spill damage. Even if you dry the visible spill up, there are moisture sensors inside that will tell any Apple technician that this device has had wet n’ wild experience, so don’t bother trying to trick them. That brings us to the second strong contender comes into play…
Pros: Amazing tech support, helpful software support, Apple’s legendary customer service, attractive Apple Geniuses at your service day and night…
Cons: Does not cover accidental damage, is more expensive than SquareTrade
Get Apple Care For Your iPad Now!
SquareTrade iPad Warranty
Price: $95 for 2 years, $143 for 3 years
What You Get:
• 2-3 years of iPad warranty against manufacturer defects and accidental damage (drops, spills, etc…)
• Cash payout if iPad cannot be repaired
The Skinny:
SquareTrade insures over 1 million devices and is underwritten by Westco Insurance Company. Their iPad warranty covers one MAJOR area that AppleCare does not: accidental damage. This is a huge concern for most iPad owners. To throw a completely made up, random, and subjective statistic out there (and aren’t they all…) we’d say that 89% of times an iPad breaks, it’s due to accidental damage whether by a drop or a liquid spill. The iPad screen is made of glass, and it can break from as little as a 2 foot drop onto a hard surface. This warranty is an excellent stress reliever to have if you are accident prone, or you happen to be buying an iPad for that butterfingered loved one of yours… however, it does not provide the legendary tech and software support that AppleCare does.
Pros: Accidental damage is covered, cheaper than AppleCare, cash payouts for dropping your device!
Cons: No tech support, no software support, no attractive hipster Apple genius to fix your problem with a look of equal parts contempt and scorn
Get Squretrade iPad Warranty Now!
And The Winner Is…
It depends! They both will give you some peace of mind and also increase the resale value of your Apple iPad. However, both plans are for two very different people…
AppleCare is great for the responsible owner who desires the ability to call tech support for help with using their devices. If you are not the most tech savvy of people, but you know how to handle valuable objects, then the AppleCare Protection Plan for the iPad is perfect for you. We recommend this plan if you are getting an iPad for your parents or grandparents.
However, if you happen to be a highly tech savvy young whippersnapper who was raised with a keyboard in one hand and an iPod in the other, then you probably will be dropping your iPad far more often than you will be calling tech support about the Wi Fis or the 3Gs. In this case SquareTrade’s iPad Warranty is the best choice for you. We recommend this plan if you are getting an iPad for kids, students, or people with strong electro-magnetic fields who tend to destroy or drop any electronic device they come near (you know who you are…)
Pick which warranty is best for you, but for the sake of peace of mind and increased resale value, be sure you pick one!
5 Responses to “iPad Warranty Shodown: Squaretrade vs. AppleCare”
What Do You Think?
iPad Deals and Sales
If you really wanted to, and had the extra cash, couldn’t you get both warranties for a single iPad?
Ray, that’s what I was thinking–why not get both! These are expensive devices, sometimes it’s worth it to insure them.
I don’t know that there’s much benefit to having both. If you purchase AppleCare and Square Trade, Square Trade will refer you to Apple, and only cover you after your AppleCare expires. What’s not clear is whether you would be eligible to make a claim for accidental damage coverage at Square Trade because you also purchased AppleCare. I would assume you would be eligible, because AppleCare won’t cover physical damage – BUT you would be wise to ask about that up front.
As a side note, Square Trade also sells warranties on used and new iPads purchased on eBay…BUT there is NO accidental damage coverage. So, if you have the option to extend your AppleCare on a used iPad (or a new one you got on eBay), you may be better off going in with Apple.
Although two warranties are unnecessary, you could purchase both for resale, future value and strategy.
Apple products are very firm on the secondary market, and with Applecare, they are even more salable. Once sold (before Applecare expires), transfer the ST warranty to the new device. This could be a strategy for continuously upgrading Apple products.
I think the article really did lay out in broad strokes the types of customer that each insurance package will be best for. There’s really not so much overlap there that you’d need or want to have both.