AppleCare+ Cost Hike
AppleCare+ Costs for Macs and iPads Increase for New Sign-ups Amid Component Shortage
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Key Points
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Beyond the 13-inch MacBook Air, AppleCare+ price increases apply to other Macs and iPads, with additional device pricing showing the wider uplift: Mac mini coverage at $4.49 per month or $44.99 per year; base iPad at $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year; 11-inch M4 iPad Air at $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year; and M5 iPad Pro at $10.99 or $11.99 per month or $109.99 or $119.99 per year, depending on size.
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AppleCare One, launched last year to cover up to three devices under a single plan, remains unchanged at $19.99 per month with additional devices at $5.99 per month.
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The broader price pressure is tied to a global memory shortage and high DRAM costs driving hardware price hikes; memory prices have roughly quadrupled over the past three quarters as suppliers reallocate capacity toward memory-intensive AI workloads.
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iPhone-related pricing is also in play, with Bloomberg noting prior iPhone AppleCare+ price bumps and market expectations that iPhone prices could rise again when fall models are released (September), broadening the impact beyond Macs and iPads.
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The Mac mini price point was specifically affected in the broader trend, with the $599 Mac Mini being discontinued earlier this year due to DRAM cost pressures.
Apple has raised AppleCare+ prices for Macs and iPads, charging new subscribers 50 cents more per month and $5 more per year, according to MacRumors. Existing customers keep their current rates — but only until their plan renews.
The move is part of a broader wave of Apple price hikes tied to a global memory shortage, The Next Web reported. Memory costs have roughly quadrupled over the past three quarters as chip suppliers shift capacity toward AI workloads.
New AppleCare+ Prices Across Macs and iPads
The 13-inch MacBook Air now costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year under AppleCare+, per MacRumors. The Mac mini drops to $4.49 per month or $44.99 per year. iPad coverage rises too: the base iPad is now $5.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
Higher-end devices see bigger numbers. The 11-inch M4 iPad Air runs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, according to MacRumors. The M5 iPad Pro costs between $10.99 and $11.99 per month — or $109.99 to $119.99 per year — depending on screen size.
Memory Shortage Is Driving Hardware and Service Costs Higher
The price increases go beyond AppleCare+. Apple already raised prices on iPads and Macs earlier this year, The Next Web reported. The root cause is DRAM — a type of memory chip — whose prices have roughly quadrupled in recent quarters.
Chip suppliers are redirecting memory production toward AI servers, squeezing supply for consumer devices. That pressure hit Apple's Mac mini line hard: the $599 base model was discontinued earlier this year because DRAM costs made it unviable, TipRanks noted.
AppleCare One Stays Flat, But iPhone Changes May Be Next
Not everything is getting more expensive right now. AppleCare One — Apple's multi-device plan launched last year — is unchanged. It still covers up to three devices for $19.99 per month, with extra devices at $5.99 per month each, per MacRumors.
iPhones may not stay exempt for long. Bloomberg has previously flagged AppleCare+ price bumps for iPhones, and analysts expect Apple could raise iPhone prices when new fall models launch in September, according to iThinkDiff. That would extend the trend well beyond Macs and iPads.
Existing Subscribers Are Grandfathered — For Now
Current AppleCare+ subscribers keep their old rates while their plan remains active. But the grandfathering ends at renewal. Once a plan rolls over, the new pricing kicks in automatically, according to MacRumors Forums.
The 50-cent monthly increase may sound small, but it adds up. A customer paying $7.49 per month today will pay $7.99 going forward — an extra $6 per year just for Mac coverage. Customers with multiple Apple devices could feel a larger combined impact at renewal time.
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