X-Tra Coverage

Protecting a new iPhone X with AppleCare+ cover seems like a given – but is it the best option?

- Alex Blake

The iPhone X is incredible in a great many ways. Incredibly advanced. Incredibly sexy. Incredibly expensive. If you’ve bought one, you’ll want to protect your shiny new gadget, so AppleCare+ seems like a natural choice. However, is it the best way to give you peace of mind if something goes wrong? Over the next few pages, we’ll take a look at the options available so you know the best way to protect your costly investment.

Firstly, let’s take a quick look at what rights are guaranteed to every citizen thanks to UK legislation. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, you have up to six years to return an item that was faulty when you bought it (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; you get five years in Scotland), although after the first six months the onus is on you to prove that it was faulty at the time of purchase. Incidentally, that six-year (or five-year) period is much more generous than the two-year return period guaranteed by the EU.

The criteria for return are that the iPhone had to have been faulty or damaged when you received it, or wasn’t fit for purpose, or was not as described. If you return it within the first 30 days after buying the device, you are legally entitled to a full refund. If you do so within the first six months, you’ve got to give Apple a chance to repair or replace the faulty product (if that’s unsuccessful, you can then get a full refund).

Of course, this all applies to damage that was already present in the iPhone X when you bought it, so doesn’t cover you for anything that happens to it once it’s in your possession. For that, you’ll need AppleCare+ or thirdparty insurance. Let’s start with AppleCare+.

AppleCare+ coverage