Following news from last week that Apple has introduced a new “AppleCare+” program for the iPhone, MacRumors reports that Apple’s informal broken iPhone policy is about to become a thing of the past.
AppleCare+ replaces the previous $69 iPhone AppleCare plan with a new $99 plan that includes accident protection. Because of this added accident protection being officially available, Apple Stores will soon stop issuing free “good will” iPhone replacements to unfortunate customers who have broken their iPhones.
I’m sure we’ve all heard a story about a customer who cracked their screen or damaged their iPhone in some other way, and taken it into the Apple Store where the Genius, feeling bad for the customer’s situation, offered to replace the device.
Now that AppleCare+ has arrived, however, with its coverage of two accident claims (and a $49 service charge for each incident), it’s unlikely that such gestures from the Genius Bar will continue, largely because it would be unfair to those who purchased AppleCare+. In fact, according to MacRumors’ source, Genius Bar staff will no longer even have the option to offer such replacements.
