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Warranty coverageThe one-year warranty was never going to cover this.
AppleCare+ and AppleCare One are the products built to close that gap, and instead of one deductible they publish nine sets of numbers, one per product and damage type. Skip AppleCare+ entirely and Apple does not publish what a walk-in repair costs you instead.
What the warranty actually covers
Apple's standard warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship when used normally
in accordance with Apple's published guidelines
, for one year from purchase. Drops are
handled a few paragraphs later, in the exclusions list.
Quoted from Apple
“(d) to damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, fire, liquid contact, earthquake or other external cause;”
That is clause (d) of ten exclusions lettered (a) through (j), inside Apple's own list of what the warranty does not cover. A cracked screen from a drop is damage caused by accident.
| Genuine defect in materials or workmanship | Covered |
|---|---|
| Damage from a drop, crack, or liquid contact | Not covered, clause (d) |
| Cosmetic damage like scratches or dents | Not covered, clause (b) |
| Consumable parts wearing out, like batteries | Not covered, clause (a) |
| Normal wear and tear | Not covered, clause (h) |
When a claim is covered, Apple’s own remedy is one of three, at its choice: repair with genuine parts, replace with the same model, or refund the purchase price. None of that reaches a cracked screen, because clause (d) took it out of scope first.
What AppleCare+ adds back in
Quoted from Apple
“Turn to us when accidents happen. Stay protected through life's ups, downs, and even drops. Get quick, Apple-certified repairs - many issues can be resolved in the same day.”
The standard warranty carves accidents out; AppleCare+ and AppleCare One carve them back in, plus liquid damage, plus a lost-or-stolen replacement, plus 24/7 support. Every repair still has a published fee attached, itemized by product and damage type. AppleCare One collapses the per-product enrollment into one flat monthly rate, $19.99 for three devices and $5.99 for each additional one, though the per-repair fees below still apply on top of that subscription.
The published AppleCare+ service fees, by product
Quoted from Apple
“Separate service fees/deductibles apply to each repair or replacement”
| iPhone | $29 screen or back glass · $99 other accidental · $149 theft or loss |
|---|---|
| iPad (Air M2+, Pro M4+, A16, mini A17 Pro) | $29 screen · $99 other accidental |
| iPad, all other models | $49 other accidental |
| iPad, any model | $29 accessory damage · $129 theft or loss |
| Mac (MacBook Neo) | $49 screen or enclosure · $149 other accidental |
| Mac, all other models & Apple Display | $99 screen or enclosure · $299 other accidental |
| Apple Watch | $69 accidental · $79 Ultra & Hermès · $119 theft or loss |
| AirPods and Beats | $29 accidental damage |
| Apple TV and HomePod | $15 Apple TV / HomePod mini · $39 HomePod |
| Apple Vision Pro | $29 accessory · $299 other accidental |
Ten rows, ten different answers. Anyone who quotes the AppleCare deductible as a single number is rounding off a table Apple built specifically to not have one.
What these pages do not tell you
| Per-model AppleCare+ monthly price for iPhone | Not stated |
|---|---|
| One single deductible that applies to every device | Not stated |
| Repair cost with no AppleCare+ or AppleCare One at all | Not stated |
The iPhone AppleCare+ price table renders as an interactive widget, not static text, so no monthly figure appears here. And nowhere on the fee schedule does Apple say what an out-of-warranty repair costs someone who never bought AppleCare+. If that is you, call Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider and ask for the number directly.
- Check whether you already have AppleCare+ or AppleCare One. It is the single biggest factor in what a cracked screen costs you.
- If you don’t have a plan, expect a repair quote, not a warranty claim. The fee schedule above does not apply to you until you enroll.
- Match your exact device and damage type to the table. iPhone screen damage and iPad screen damage are priced differently, and neither one is the “other accidental damage” rate.
- Get the fee confirmed before the repair starts. The amount should match one of the rows above exactly.
Questions people actually ask
Is a cracked screen ever covered by the standard warranty, with no AppleCare+?
Only if it is genuinely a manufacturing defect and not the result of a drop, bend, or bump. The moment an external event caused the crack, it is accidental damage under clause (d), and the standard warranty stops applying.
Does AppleCare+ cover a cracked screen the same day?
Apple's own AppleCare page says many issues can be resolved in the same day
, though it
does not promise that for every repair or every location.
Is the $29 iPhone screen fee the same for every iPhone model?
The fee schedule lists $29 for iPhone screen or back glass damage as a single figure, not split by model. It is the iPad line that splits by model generation; iPhone does not, on the page we read.
What happens if my iPhone is stolen instead of cracked?
That falls under theft or loss, not accidental damage, and it is priced separately: $149 for iPhone under AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, according to the same fee schedule.
Other definitions that decide whether you qualify
Every one of these is read from the company’s own document and dated. See all 59 questions we have answered.