{"id":14190,"date":"2022-09-09T14:39:16","date_gmt":"2022-09-09T14:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/09\/09\/apple-watch-ultra-repairs-could-be-ultra-expensive-without-applecare\/"},"modified":"2022-09-09T14:39:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T14:39:17","slug":"apple-watch-ultra-repairs-could-be-ultra-expensive-without-applecare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceandnerds.com\/2022\/09\/09\/apple-watch-ultra-repairs-could-be-ultra-expensive-without-applecare\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple Watch Ultra repairs could be ultra-expensive without AppleCare"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2022\/9\/8\/23343752\/apple-watch-ultra-repair-price-battery-replacement<\/a>
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On Wednesday, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra<\/a>, a $799 wearable meant for people partaking in extreme activities like climbing mountains, running ultra-marathons, or diving. But as MacRumors<\/em> points out<\/a>, breaking its screen, button, sensors, or other various parts while doing any of these activities could be very expensive: repairs for the watch will cost $499 if you don\u2019t have AppleCare Plus (we\u2019ll get to that in a minute), according to an estimate tool on Apple\u2019s website<\/a>. That\u2019s significantly more than the $299 repair for an entry-level Series 8.<\/p>\n

Getting the battery replaced on an Ultra will also cost more than it would for Apple\u2019s less extreme watches, coming in at $99 instead of $79. That does make some sense; the Ultra likely has a much bigger battery than the Series 8, given that Apple estimates it\u2019ll last twice as long. <\/p>\n

While I do get that it\u2019s always fun to poke fun at Apple\u2019s sometimes out-there pricing \u2014 I still sometimes have a giggle at the $19 microfiber polishing cloth<\/a> \u2014 I do somewhat understand why the Ultra\u2019s repairs will cost so much. Apple Watches are generally tiny and glued together<\/a>, and neither of those factors makes for easy repairs. That more or less leaves Apple with two options when you send it your broken watch; it can just recycle it and send you a refurbished one, or it can hire folks with serious skills to actually repair it. Neither of those options is exactly cheap.<\/p>\n

Fair or not, the Ultra\u2019s high repair price isn\u2019t unique. Apple estimates you\u2019d have to pay the same $499 to get a Titanium Series 7 Edition repaired, which tracks given that the Ultra is made from the same material. (A footnote does say that shipping is free for Apple Watch Editions, where you have to pay for it otherwise. Apple didn\u2019t immediately respond to The Verge<\/em>\u2019s request for comment on whether it\u2019d cover shipping for the Ultra too.) Those aren\u2019t even the most expensive repairs, though; if you break your ceramic Series 5, you could be out $800<\/em> if you want it fixed without AppleCare Plus. <\/p>\n

Speaking of AppleCare, though, that\u2019s really the solution here. Apple\u2019s protection plan for the Ultra is $100 upfront (or $4.99 a month), and that\u2019ll knock repairs down to a much more manageable $79. If you get your Ultra repaired even once \u2014 and let\u2019s face it if you\u2019re one of the \u201coutdoor adventurers\u201d Apple\u2019s marketing the watch to<\/a>, you\u2019ll probably have to at some point \u2014 you\u2019ll come out way ahead with AppleCare. Plus, Apple just made it so the policy covers unlimited repairs<\/a> instead of just two a year, which is a boon for those who\u2019ll be pushing themselves and their gear to its limits.<\/p>\n