iPhone Duo: Should You Get AppleCare? The Deductibles

Quick summary: The iPhone Duo arrives in about a month, and I’d absolutely get AppleCare or at least your carrier’s protection plan. Folding phones have more moving parts, this is a first-generation product, and it could break, get lost or get stolen. I think AppleCare will offer better support than a carrier plan.

AppleCare deductibles for the iPhone Duo

• Battery service: $0
• Front (cover) display damage: $29
• Back glass damage: $29
• Inner (main) display damage: $99, a great price for the main screen
• Other accidental damage: $99
• Theft or loss: $149

Don’t forget the monthly cost

I’m guessing AppleCare will run about $20 to $30 a month for the Duo. At $20 a month for two years, that’s about $480 plus the deductible for a repair. Still, for a phone that costs more than $2,000, these deductibles are excellent, not highway robbery.

Other perks

• Express replacement: Apple can send a replacement before you send yours back.
• In-person support at the Genius Bar, or service by mail.

Early on, replacements might take a while, since I expect the Duo to be very hard to get.

Verdict

I plan to get AppleCare when I get my iPhone Duo.

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