[infofarmer]

Sample size of one. Both standard AppleCare and AppleCare+ have been increasingly indispensable for me in the last decade as the quality of all Apple hardware has been in steady decline.

On average my macbooks, iphones, watches don't last a year. AC+ shortens and reduces the negotiation headaches.

I always try to go to Genius Bars and avoid AASP. The bars are generally much more benevolent in developed markets — US, HK, SG — compared to developing like Bangkok.

With careful and polite negotiation you can often get free repairs and replacements (and once in a blue moon, upgrades) out of warranty.

While mostly in Asia, I often start a support case with Apple Support US, they can make a favorable decision and transfer me to their global branches, who then can direct a local Bar or AASP.

The Genius Bars in Mainland China (I mostly dealt with the one in Shenzhen) were great.

[sem000]

That’s wild that your devices have such a short lifespan.

Anecdata - All of my Apple devices have lasted several years without issue at all.

[kevviiinn]

That speak volumes to the quality of apple products and is further backed up by Louis Rossman

[rad_gruchalski]

Wow, 1 year? I have a fully functional 2009 mbp, a 2016 model, a couple of 2018 needing a new battery and keyboard fixes, and a 2018 iphone 8 needing a battery replacement. After fixing, I fully expect those devices to work another 4, 5 years.

[infofarmer]

Yep, I have happy exceptions like that as well. Average has been getting worse though. Lots of travel in hot humid climates might be contributing, but unintuitively that's where the majority of apple product usage happens.

[temp2022account]

Woah, that's a huge lifetime shortage. Anecdata++; Last macbook pro I had lasted 6 years, sat in storage for 2 years, and at the moment my sister is using it as a replacement for a 3-year-old chromebook that crapped out a few months ago. It was the 2014 intel model w/8gb ram.