Forum Discussion
Applecare vs Protection360
Recently I removed my 21-year-old son from my cell phone plan because he wanted to get his own service plan at Verizon. I was surprised to see my bill only go down from $194.79 (for 2 lines plus wi-fi) to $172.29. I’m trying to figure out why it didn’t go lower than that. Also, while looking at my plan information, I see that I have Applecare Services (Free) and I also have Protection<360> ($15.00 per month). Is it necessary to have the Protection<360> AND Applecare services? What is the difference?
Thank you in advance for any and all help and information you can provide me.
From MS Copilot AI:
Both T-Mobile Protection<360> and AppleCare+ offer comprehensive coverage for your iPhone, but they have some key differences:
T-Mobile Protection<360>
- Coverage: Includes insurance for loss, theft, and accidental damage, as well as an extended warranty.
- Additional Services: Offers AppleCare Services for eligible Apple devices, McAfee Security, and Tech PHD by Assurant for technical support1.
- Cost: Typically around $18 per month2.
- Deductibles: $29 for screen repairs, $99 for accidental damage, and $249 for theft or loss2.
AppleCare+
- Coverage: Provides extended warranty and coverage for accidental damage. You can also opt for AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for additional protection.
- Additional Services: Direct access to Apple experts for support and service.
- Cost: $8 per month or $149 for two years for standard AppleCare+, and $11.49 per month or $219 for two years for AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss2.
- Deductibles: $29 for screen repairs, $99 for other accidental damage, and $149 for theft or loss2.
Key Differences
- Insurance for Theft and Loss: T-Mobile Protection<360> includes this in its standard plan, while AppleCare+ requires an additional fee for theft and loss coverage.
- Additional Services: T-Mobile’s plan includes extra services like McAfee Security and Tech PHD, which AppleCare+ does not offer.
- Cost: T-Mobile’s plan is generally more expensive on a monthly basis but includes broader coverage.
My own personal opinion is similar to general insurance policies. You can pay for multiple insurance coverages but each one will have a disclaimer where you are only allowed to make a claim on one insurance policy. For most types of insurance policy you can also be indicted for fraud if you make multiple claims on the same loss/damage event. Therefore there is absolutely no reason to have both Tmobile and AppleCare, but they will both be happy to take your money.
