My iPhone 17 is only two weeks old, but it fell out of my bag onto concrete and the top-right part of the screen is now shattered. Apple quoted me about A$600 for an out-of-warranty screen repair. Would adding AppleCare now reduce the repair cost, or is it too late because the damage has already happened?
2 Answers
Unfortunately, AppleCare is meant to be purchased before accidental damage occurs. You generally can’t add coverage after the phone has already been damaged, so the repair would likely need to be paid for at the standard out-of-warranty price.
Even if the phone still lets you buy AppleCare, Apple may require a diagnostic check or inspection. Existing damage would likely be detected, and that damage wouldn’t be covered. It’s worth contacting Apple to confirm your options, but don’t count on AppleCare reducing the cost of this repair.
That’s what I was worried about—the inspection would probably show the impact damage. AppleCare could still be useful for future incidents if Apple allows enrollment, but it wouldn’t normally cover a crack that happened beforehand.