"Would you like to add AppleCare+ for $129 with your iPhone purchase today?"
You've probably been asked that question, but you might not know whether Apple's insurance plan is worth the extra cash, especially after dropping half your monthly rent on a new iPhone.
I see someone with a broken iPhone screen almost every day, which could have been a non-issue if they got AppleCare+.
AppleCare+ is Apple's own insurance that gives you a lot more coverage than the standard one-year warranty you get with every iPhone purchase for free.
The standard warranty only covers you against damage and defects that could have been Apple's fault. It won't cover you against any accidental damage. For example, if your iPhone came with a big dent on the back before you even took it out of the box, you're likely covered by the warranty.
Don't worry, you have up to 60 days after you bought your iPhone to buy AppleCare+, so it's not a decision you need to make on the spot. And an Apple sales associate will probably (hopefully) tell you that have 60 days to decide.
If you get a new iPhone 6S or 6S Plus with Apple's Upgrade Program, you get complimentary AppleCare+ coverage.
This is what you can expect if you get AppleCare+:
Accidental damage coverage
That includes a broken screen, water damage, or even total breakdown from a catastrophic drop. You could bring an iPhone back in pieces and get a replacement, as long as it was "accidental."
But Apple is clear that the damage needs to be accidental, so don't go around shooting new iPhones with .50-caliber rifles like those folks on YouTube, because that won't sound accidental however you try to explain it.
You're allowed up to two repairs or replacements, and you'll probably be charged $79 if you have the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, or $99 for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
The extra $79-$99 you might pay for repairing or replacing a broken iPhone — on top of the $129 you paid for AppleCare — might seem somewhat arbitrary, and its understandable that spending $220 might put you off AppleCare+. But it's still better than buying a new iPhone or suffering through a broken screen until you buy a new one.
You could get a case for your iPhone, but those aren't fail-safe, and those that are close to fail-safe tend to be ugly and bulky. Most of them don't protect your iPhone from water damage, either.
Battery replacement
This is a great reason to get AppleCare+, as smartphone batteries tend to degrade over time, which often leads people to spending hundreds of dollars prematurely on a new iPhone when their current iPhones work perfectly well otherwise. It's something that a case can't prevent.
If you're noticing that your battery life is shorter than it used to be when it was new, you can get the battery or your entire iPhone replaced for no extra charge.
Technical support for two years
If you have any problem doing anything on your iPhone, you can call technical support and they'll help you out. You get 90 days of free technical support as standard with a new iPhone, but if you try calling them after your 90 days are up and you don't have AppleCare+ they might not help you.
You can always pop into a physical Apple retail store and ask a Genius for help, so this isn't one of the main draws for AppleCare+.
Should you get it?
Think of it this way: no one ever buys car insurance thinking they'll get into an accident.
A broken phone isn't as terrible as a car crash, but AppleCare+ is a safety net if something does happen to your iPhone. You could risk it without AppleCare+, but you might get stuck with a cracked screen or face the reality of spending another $600+ on a new iPhone when you could have spent only up to $220.
