# AppleCare 42 Hacker News commenters recommended AppleCare and 29 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 10 of 13 months. **Verdict:** People recommend AppleCare for free or low-cost repairs and replacements, especially on laptops. Critics say it is pricey, pushed hard, and feels like a required purchase because out-of-warranty repairs cost so much. ## Why people recommend it - Free repairs and replacements (8 comments): "had the whole top case swapped for free multiple times throughout the three years that the coverage lasted" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47298358)) "I have walked out of the store with a brand new device a half-dozen times with only a few questions asked." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47578786)) "I recently had to service a battery and they replaced a top case and a keyboard free of charge" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572698)) - Cheap compared with repair costs (5 comments): "they provide absolutely stellar support, especially with the stupidly inexpensive Apple Care insurance" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45943875)) "I had the entire laptop replaced for $99 when its battery got bad and the screen cracked" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49800426)) "MacBooks, especially with AppleCare, are an irreplaceable deal." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48333240)) - Peace of mind for accidents (5 comments): "I'm grateful to myself that I had AC+ because I might have as well just bought another laptop if not." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47252184)) "Having AC+, lets me treat the device with the level of carelessness that is worth the price to me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47571852)) "I would not buy any laptop without 2-3 years of warranty support / Apple Care." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47346926)) - Good support and easy service (3 comments): "Was able to just book a service appt from the Apple store in Valencia" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50038221)) "Apple has extremely high standards for their support advisors." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49035487)) "I've had good luck with AppleCare and warranty service" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49961290)) ## What people warn about - High repair prices push subscriptions (3 comments): "the "repair fee" for AirPods is such a high percentage of the replacement price that it just is not worth it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47566990)) "kind of forces you subscribe to it by having absurdly high parts replacement prices" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47359088)) "$400 service which for an older macbook costs almost as much as the whole thing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48853619)) - Constant nudging to subscribe (3 comments): "Can't dismiss them - you just have to have a red notification icon until they expire." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45851593)) "It will never stop telling you to setup Apple Pay and Siri and offering Apple Care." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45852168)) "It's constantly nudging you to subscribe to some Apple service, like AppleCare" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45850965)) - Poor value for many buyers (4 comments): "It's bordering on insurance fraud and I usually trade-in my devices back to Apple so I don't bother with it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572156)) "ApplecCare is as much a warranty as their Apple's phone are guaranteed waterproof. It's marketing." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49808469)) "buying Apple care is ensuring you lose since you pay for a new phone whether you break it or not" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47572256)) - Repair hassles and blame (3 comments): "Would NOT authorize a mail in repair. Would only authorize walk in to my local shitty Apple authorized third party repair center" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47566946)) "Apple Care put me through the reinstall OS / remove all external devices tap-dance for weeks" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47238330)) "They blamed it on me because of an dent about 1mm wide I never noticed on the back corner." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47573546)) ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.apple.com/applecare/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "AppleCare", https://hackerapproved.com/p/applecare/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).