Do You Need AppleCare For Your iPhone X?

So you got an iPhone X for Christmas. Fancy!

Once you're done setting up your Memoji and admiring its uncanny similarity to your face, it's time to decide if you need to buy AppleCare, Apple's insurance package offering that provides up to two years of support and repair coverage on your new iPhone. The answer: It depends.

Apple provides two plans to choose from. The first is plain old AppleCare+, which, according to the site, gets you "up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to service fees plus applicable tax," as well as "Express Replacement Service and 24/7 priority access to Apple experts by chat or phone."

It's a pretty good deal, and it's relatively inexpensive. AppleCare+ costs $9.99/month for up to 24 months, or $199 upfront for the X, XS, and XS Max, and $7.99/month or $149 total for the XR. With this option, a standard screen damage repair will cost you only $29, and any other accidental damage will cost $99.

The second plan is pricier, but it includes theft and loss coverage as well. For the XS Max, XS, and X, it costs $14.99/month or $299, which gets you a $269 theft and loss deductible in addition to baseline AppleCare+ coverage. For the XR it's a bit less, at $12.99/month or $249 total for a $229 deductible. It's a steal, compared to the price of buying a new phone. There is one key stipulation: to redeem this coverage, Find My iPhone must be enabled at the time your iPhone is lost or stolen.

But if you don't have AppleCare+ and you break your iPhone X screen — be prepared to shell out more. $199 for an XR, $279 for an XS or X, and $329 for an XS Max. And for "other damages," Apple's site lists the cost range between $549 and $599. It's worth noting that getting your screen repaired elsewhere might save you a few bucks — but if you do, just make sure that it doesn't preclude you from getting future Apple coverage on the product.

So, the bottom line: If you're one of those people who is constantly dropping their phone and cracking their screen — you should probably think about covering your bases and getting AppleCare+. Here's how much you save on your first screen repair if you have AppleCare: up to $20 on the XR, $50 on the XS, and $100 on the XS Max. And if you break your phone for a second time in the two-year window, you end up saving even more. (Just don't break it a third time, since that won't be covered.)

The cheapest solution of all? Invest in a good case. But even then, accidents happen. So if you'd rather play it safe, AppleCare+ is well worth the investment.