Users are best advised to buy Apple care for Apple 6 watch at the time of buying an Apple watch. AppleCare+ is an extended warranty care plan for the Apple 6 smart watch. It generally costs anywhere between $60-$100, depending on the model of Apple 6 watch – Titanium, Aluminum or Stainless steel body. Most users will buy it together with the Apple 6 watch, while others wait and buy within 60 days of purchase of the Apple 6 watch.
Do I already have AppleCare+?
Some folks get Apple devices as birthday gifts or presents on an occasion. In such cases, how do you find if the Apple 6 watch has an AppleCare+ plan that is active? To know the status of AppleCare+ warranty coverage on your Apple 6 watch, please use the ‘Check your service and support coverage’ link on the Apple website – Check Your Service and Support Coverage – Apple Support. You will need your Apple 6 watch serial number to check the status of AppleCare+ warranty support coverage on the watch.
You can find the serial number of Apple 6 watch by using the My Watch app on the paired iPhone:
- On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app.
- Tap the My Watch tab, then tap General > About.
- Look for Serial Number or IMEI.
Note this serial number and put this on the service and support coverage link on the Apple website. This will disclose the status of AppleCare+ plan for your Apple 6 watch, if any.
What is the right time to buy AppleCare+ for Apple watch 6?
Quite simply, the best time is the time of purchase. Go for AppleCare+ coverage right at the time you buy an Apple watch. The total price for your purchase may go up, but you will extend the life of your Apple watch 6 by enrolling in the AppleCare+ service support plan. Aside from that, you may be able to extend AppleCare+ beyond the expiry of AppleCare+ coverage.
If you choose to not buy AppleCare+ at the time of purchase, you are given a time of up to 60 days from the date of purchase. You can buy AppleCare+ during the 60 day period from the date of purchase of the Apple 6 watch, provided your watch clears the online diagnostic tests carried out by the Apple website.
What does AppleCare+ include?
AppleCare+ includes extending warranty and service support on your Apple 6 watch. It offers hardware and software support services for your Apple 6 watch. The extended warranty for Apple Watch and Nike edition lasts for a period of 2 years from the date of purchase of the AppleCare+ plan for the watch. The extended warranty on the Apple watch edition will last for 3 years from the data of purchase of the AppleCare+ plan.
The following are included as part of the AppleCare+ coverage for Apple watch 6:
- service and support for repair and replacement of your Apple watch 6, battery of the Apple watch, Hardware support of up to two accidental hardware incidents is also included. Accidental coverage may be subject to a review fee. The review fee varies with your location and depends on the model of your Apple Watch. If it is the Apple 6 Nike or the normal Apple Watch edition, there is a review fee of $69. For other models, this review fee is $79.
- software support for the watch OS is provided by the trained Apple technicians. The software support includes assistance in resolving any software related issues on your Watch. Ensuring seamless connectivity between the Apple watch 6 and the paired iPhone is also an area that is supported by the trained Apple technicians under the software support provided.
In our experience, AppleCare+ is very useful in cases of battery replacement and screen replacement. Accidental damage coverage is also a useful addon. There is no way that you can get your Apple watch’s battery replaced by the local watch technician, without impairing watch functionality in one way or other. Remember, that the internal watch unit is sealed. Getting the watch repaired at a local shop may cause a damage to the waterproof sealing of the internal watch unit. This could eventually cause water leak issues on the Apple watch. Besides this, the replaced battery may not be able to give you the back-up that an Apple’s original battery would give. An Apple 6 watch battery lasts for 18 hours on full charge.
If you intend to keep your Apple watch 6 for 2 -4 years, there is no point in not having the AppleCare+ extended support and service coverage on the Apple watch 6.
Quite possibly, Apple may not be able to repair or replace the faulty parts of the smart watch. In such cases, they do offer a refurbished model of the watch for a heavily discounted replacement fee. The bottom line is that you are assured of a working Apple watch 6, should you choose to buy the AppleCare+ coverage.
Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].