Apple iPhone Owners Get More Time for AppleCare Insurance

March 20, 2017, 8:55 PM UTC

Apple’s iPhone customers now have the option to upgrade warranties for much longer a period of time than in the past.

Existing iPhone owners can purchase AppleCare+, Apple’s repair and warranty service, for up to one year after they buy their iPhones, according to Apple-tracking site MacRumors. Apple previously only allowed for the AppleCare+ upgrade up to 60 days after the iPhone purchase.

Fortune confirmed the change with an Apple support representative. Apple’s (AAPL) Service and Support tool also reflects the change.

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Apple offers one year of service and 90 days of telephone technical support with the purchase of an iPhone. Customers who buy AppleCare+ can extend those services to two years. Apple charges $129 for iPhone 6s and newer and $99 for its iPhone SE AppleCare+ plans. AppleCare+ also reduces the cost of common repairs. Screen damage, for example, costs $29 on an AppleCare+ warranty. Those outside the warranty can pay significantly more for a fix, depending on the damage.

The iPhone is a rather expensive device to fix due to design features, making it difficult for non-Apple technicians to break it open and repair. Thus, AppleCare+ can come in handy. But some customers have complained on social media and forums that the 60-day window for buying AppleCare+ is too restrictive. While it’s unclear why Apple made the change, the company already offers an AppleCare extension within one year of purchasing a Mac or Apple TV.

Apple’s iPhone extension is retroactively available. So those who have purchased a recently released iPhone in the last year can take advantage of the offer.

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