Tech Alert

from Jim H

Tech blogger Kim Komando posted the following, which I thought you might find helpful. Another thing I do, and recommend, is turning off your iPhone or iPad once a day, then reopen it....Jim

TODAY’S TECH ALERT

Hi there, I have to tell you that the National Security Agency (yes, that NSA) just put out a blunt warning about something you may have seen on your phone before. Pop-ups screaming, “Your phone is hacked!” or “Virus detected!” Many of these aren’t just annoying, they’re active cyberattacks in progress.

Whether you’re using an iPhone or Android, the NSA says to assume any sketchy pop-up is malicious. And their advice? Not “Click here to learn more.” Not even “Close the window.” They’re saying: “Forcibly close all applications.” In other words: Don’t just close the bad tab, shut down everything. 

One post on Reddit said, “It looked so real, I nearly clicked before I caught myself.” Another shared, “My mom hit OK and ended up getting locked out of her phone.”

🛠️ What to do right now

  1. See a weird pop-up?
    👉 Immediately close all apps. Don’t interact with any pop-ups.
     

  2. Accidentally clicked something?
    👉 Change your passwords, alert your bank and run a full security scan on your phone.
     

  3. Update your software.
    👉 Keep your phone’s OS and apps up to date. Updates patch holes hackers use.
     

  4. Use official app stores only.
    👉 Skip the shady download links and third-party app stores.
     

  5. Tighten permissions.
    👉 Turn off location services when you don’t need them. Don’t let random sites send you push notifications.
     

  6. Reboot your phone weekly.
    👉 A simple restart can knock out hidden spyware and make you a harder target.

The NSA’s warning is clear: Cybercriminals are targeting your phone. But with a few smart steps, you can shut them down before they get in.

Share this with your family, especially the ones who still tap “OK” on everything.

How to teach tech to an older colleague

from Frank C

The 7 Rules for Teaching Older Learners (panel can riff)

  1. Start with purpose, not features. Ask: "What do you want this to help you do this week?"

  2. One task per session. Success once, unaided - then stop.

  3. I do → We do → You do. Demo once, do it together, then they do it solo.

  4. Use their words & write steps down. Make a 4-5-step card; snap a photo of it.

  5. Slow the tempo; narrate actions. "Open Photos... tap Share... press and hold..."

  6. Translate jargon. "Two-factor" → "second step to prove it's you."

  7. Praise the process. Celebrate spot-on actions ("You found the Share icon—nice!").

Senior Planet @ https://www.seniorplanet.org/

Older Adults Technology Services @ https://www.oats.org/

A great example from their site is "Al for Older Adults" @

https://oats.org/oats-publishes-ai-for-older-adults-guide/

Email us at ThePodtalkNetwork@Gmail.com

Website: https://www.thepodtalk.net

YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/@OldMacGang

What's in Your iPhone Update?

from Jim R

Attached is a security newsletter I receive, usually weekly.  Some of the information may be of interest to you, especially Apple device and Mac updates, as well as some ChatGPT news.  

Jim

PRIVACY & SECURITY  

September 19, 2025

EDITOR'S NOTE

Hi Insiders, Cullen here.

Apple has officially rolled out iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26 Tahoe, and watchOS 26, along with updates for Apple TV, HomePod, and Vision Pro. The updates focus on some aesthetic redesigns that Apple collectively calls Liquid Glass, but in addition, there are also a ton of new features. If you’d like a rundown on what’s new with the update to your iPhone, check out the recording of our live course: Our Top Ten Favorite Features of iOS 26. I’m very excited about some of the privacy and security features! In particular, one new feature should help cut down the number of spam calls, and another will help you remember lost passwords.

What do you think of the redesign? Let us know by emailing security@iphonelife.com or replying to this email.

Cheers, and stay safe out there!

Cullen Thomas,
Senior Instructor at iPhone Life

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

🗒️✅ Your Security Checklist🏆🎖️ Test Your Security Skills📰 Your Weekly Security Update🤨 This Should Be on Your Radar 📡🙈 Security Fail of the Week 👎🍎📱 Security Updates from Apple 🍎

 

🗒️✅ YOUR SECURITY CHECKLIST

If you take nothing else from this newsletter, do these three things to protect yourself:

Share passwords through the Passwords app. You can create password-sharing groups that allow you to securely share specific passwords with friends or family.Hide notification previews from your Lock Screen. If you don’t want others to be able to see the contents of your notifications, you can disable previews in the Settings app.Limit access to your photos when sharing them with an app. When giving apps access to your photos, you can choose to give access to your entire library or limit access to specific photos.

For a complete list of our top security recommendations, see our course on cybersecurity for Apple enthusiasts.

 

🏆🎖️ TEST YOUR SECURITY SKILLS

What should you do in the following scenario?

🤔 A new operating system update is available for your iPhone. From a security perspective, should you…

Install it right away.Wait a few months to make sure there aren’t any bugs.Hold off as long as possible to avoid changes to your devices, habits, and apps.

Scroll to the bottom to see how you did!

 

APPLE OFFICIALLY RELEASES IOS 26 & OTHER UPDATES

On Monday, Apple officially released its latest operating systems, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and watchOS 26. These new updates include a ton of new features and, of course, security updates. In addition to the fun stuff like Liquid Glass, Call Screening, and Live Translation, iOS 26 patches a variety of vulnerabilities that could have allowed malicious apps to access your personal data. You can read more about what was fixed in this update on Apple’s Support page.

The Bottom Line: If your devices are compatible, be sure to install the latest updates. New operating systems are not just about introducing cool new features; they also help keep your devices safeguarded against potential cyberattacks.

 

🤨 THIS SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR 📡

OpenAI Wants to Make ChatGPT More Private

OpenAI’s Sam Altman said in a blog post that the company is developing new tools to ensure user privacy when using ChatGPT. The company wants to protect what users tell the chatbot from being accessed by anyone, including OpenAI itself, with the exception of “critical risks,” such as threats of harm to oneself or others. The company is also creating a separate ChatGPT experience for those under 18, ensuring that minors won’t be served content intended for adult users. In some countries, ChatGPT will also ask for an ID if it suspects a user is underage.

The Bottom Line: While OpenAI is continuing to improve ChatGPT’s privacy, the company is currently bound by a court order to retain all chat history, due to an ongoing lawsuit with the New York Times. As such, we’d still recommend that you withhold any private information that you wouldn’t want made public. We don’t fully know yet how these new privacy tools work, and there is a possibility that the company is simply trying to hide the fact that it uses copyrighted material to train its AI by making all material “private.”

Travelling to Europe? New Border Crossing System Keeps Permanent Record of Your Face or Fingerprint

The European Union is set to roll out a new border-crossing system for non-EU citizens. Instead of a border agent merely asking a few questions and stamping your passport, as in the past, the new system will take a record of your face or fingerprints and store them for up to three years, to be referenced on future border crossings. The system, called EES for Entry and Exit System, will also automatically flag travelers who have overstayed their visas. EES is set to start out at external EU border crossings on October 12, 2025, with a plan for it to be fully implemented at all crossings by April 10, 2026. These requirements do not apply to travelers using EU passports.

The Bottom Line: There is no option to opt out of a biometric capture at EU borders. If you are traveling there, expect to have your biometrics recorded. That said, the new system is advertised as much more efficient and will surely result in better record-keeping.

Gucci & Other High-End Brands Targeted in Data Breach

A variety of high-end fashion brands owned by Kering have been hit by a data breach. The affected retailers include Gucci, Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen, and the stolen data contains customer names, emails, phone numbers, and addresses. Kering says that the hackers did not capture any customer financial information. The hacking group “Shiny Hunters” has claimed responsibility for the attack. Read more at Reuters.

The Bottom Line: If you are a customer at any of Kering’s brands, you should have already been notified of this breach. If you haven’t, you will likely be contacted soon. While login details were not said to be included in the breach, it wouldn’t hurt to update your password as well.

Apple Releases Security Fixes for iOS 15 & 16

Apple hasn’t forgotten older iPads and iPhones. While iOS 18 and iOS 26 have addressed various security flaws, older operating systems were left vulnerable until now. Devices still running iOS 15 and 16 can now install iOS 15.8.5 and 16.7.12 and get the same security fixes that were patched in iOS 18. Read more at Bleeping Computer.

The Bottom Line: If you’re still hanging onto an iPhone or iPad that can’t update past iOS 15 or 16, head over to the Settings app to check for updates and make sure you’ve got the latest operating system.

Nepalis Use Discord Gaming Chat App to Select Interim Prime Minister

In what is surely a world first, citizens of Nepal have overthrown their government, then gotten together in an internet chat room to select an interim leader who will lead democratic elections. The historic chat was hosted on the Discord app, a chat app popular among gamers and other highly online communities.

Discord is a free app. In Discord, you can create free “servers” which let you moderate your own online communities, set rules, invite members, do video calls, etc. Its paid tiers increase the bandwidth and features of your server. As a free service, its policies on privacy and security are not especially good, but it has the benefits of popularity and accessibility. The Columbia Journalism Review has the full story, and it’s an amazing one.

The Bottom Line: As a long-term strategy for democratic governance, Discord is not viable: there are far too many ways that a mere internet chat could be coopted, coerced, or controlled. Paper ballots are a much more secure system (and hopefully the interim prime minister follows through with her promise to hold real elections soon).

US-Based Version of TikTok Coming Soon

It looks like TikTok won’t be banned after all. According to The Wall Street Journal, TikTok will be establishing a US-based company that will operate a separate version of the app, with 80% of the company belonging to US shareholders and the remaining 20% being owned by Chinese shareholders. Additionally, the US government will appoint one member of the new company’s board. Of course, nothing is final at this point, so the terms of this deal could change.

The Bottom Line: Despite this deal, TikTok will likely still have its share of privacy issues, as any social media service would. The only real difference is that now your personal data will be handled by American companies rather than Chinese ones. It’s also a bit concerning that the government will apparently have a say in who is on the company’s board, as that makes it dangerously close to a state-run social media app. We’d recommend staying far away from TikTok, regardless of who owns it.

ChatGPT Developer Beta Contains a Critical Security Flaw

ChatGPT’s developer mode recently added Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool support, which allows the AI chatbot to connect to third-party services, such as your email or calendar. Security Week is reporting that this new feature could potentially be exploited to access a user’s personal data. The vulnerability works by sending a malicious calendar invite, which contains an AI prompt to search the victim’s email inbox and send sensitive data to the attacker’s email. The victim does not even need to accept the invite for the exploit to work.

The Bottom Line: This vulnerability currently only exists in the developer beta of ChatGPT, and now that attention has been brought to it, it will likely be patched when the feature goes live for all users. However, this security flaw demonstrates the risk that comes with allowing AI to access your personal data.

 

🙈 SECURITY FAIL OF THE WEEK 👎

Google’s Law Enforcement Portal Accessed by Hackers

A hacking group called "Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters" breached Google’s Law Enforcement Request System and was able to create a fraudulent account. As its name suggests, the system is used by law enforcement to make official data requests from Google. According to Google, the hackers did not make any requests, and the company was quick to disable the account. Still, this incident is sure to raise concerns that hackers could potentially impersonate law enforcement and compromise Google users’ data. Read more at Bleeping Computer.

The Bottom Line: This is likely a one-off incident, and Google has more than likely already taken action to ensure that whatever methods the hackers used cannot be used again. Still, it’s important to ensure your Google account is secured with a strong password and multi-factor authentication.

Related: How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication with Gmail

 

🍎📱 SECURITY UPDATES FROM APPLE 🍎

Everything you need to know about Apple’s latest software updates.

The most recent iOS and iPadOS is 26The most recent macOS is 26.1The most recent tvOS is 26The most recent watchOS is 26.1The most recent visionOS is 26

Read about the latest updates from Apple.

 

SECURITY SKILLS ANSWER

From a security perspective, the correct answer is probably A: get it right away. Apple has been pretty good lately about fixing all the serious bugs with its operating system updates before they reach the public. That said, waiting a little while before updating can be a reasonable precaution. Just don’t wait forever. Keeping your devices up to date is like changing the oil in your car: a necessary maintenance task. Plus, you get a bunch of new features!

 

 

MISSION STATEMENT

There is far too much security and privacy news to cover it all. When building this newsletter, we look for scams, hacks, trouble, and news to illustrate the kinds of problems Apple enthusiasts may encounter in our private lives, and the self-defense we can practice to keep our devices, accounts, and lives secure. Our commentary focuses on practical advice for everyday people. This newsletter was written by Cullen Thomas and Rhett Intriago and edited by August Garry.

 

NEXT STEPS

For a complete list of our top security recommendations, see our course on cybersecurity for tech enthusiasts.

Confused about password managers? Check out:

Best Password Manager for Your iPhoneHow to Make a Strong Password & Things to Avoid

 

Did we help with your security concerns?

With your feedback, we can improve this security newsletter. Let us know how we did:

👍 Yes, this definitely helps me with my security😐 Some of the content is helpful to me👎 No, I didn’t find this newsletter helpful

 

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iPhone Talk

from Jim J

While I'm definitely not in the market for another iPhone, but if you might be, you might enjoy the following article:

I want to love Apple’s new iPhone Air, but the iPhone 17 is a better deal: I was within a heartbeat of preordering the new iPhone Air. But a closer looks at the specs changed my mind. Read More

A side note: the author of the articles admits while writing this article, she is on a HP Spectre PC running Windows. She likes this PC, and I'm presently on the same model PC, which I also like very much. For me, it is next in line, right behind my MacBook Air...Jim

Sharing Photo Links

for John C

I have often wondered about this, and now I know.

If someone with a Mac creates a public link to a shared Photos album, that link can be accessed by a Windows PC or Linux PC without doing anything special.

Links to a private shared album require that the end user have an Apple ID and they may need to use iCloud for Windows.

Sharing a public link exposes the album to the world if the invited user posts it publicly. Sharing a private link does not, and only invitees by their email address (Apple ID) from the owner can have access.

Upcoming Apple Announcements

From Jim H

Check out this article from USA TODAY: Apple announces date for 2025 launch event: 'Awe dropping' https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2025/08/26/apple-event-date-september-2025-iphone-17/85833853007/

Apple announced the date of its next big event, set for Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.

The event, dubbed as "Awe dropping," will be streamed on the apple.com website.

More Information

If you're an 'Appleholic', the next Apple event is Sept 9, 10 am AZ time. Some speculation in the article below on what might be included. As for me, I'll watch it, but I'm not in the market to buy any Apple device. Zee tells me my allowance has already been spent!...☺️...One item of interest, for me, anyway, is to see how much AI Apple incorporates into their devices....Jim

 Apple Schedules iPhone 17 Launch Event for Sept. 9

Tim Cook promises an 'awe dropping' event next month, where we expect to see the iPhone Air, new Apple Watches, and maybe a foldable sneak peek? Here's what we think Apple has in store.

This "special Apple Event" is likely to include the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup and the next-gen Apple Watch. It begins at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET at Apple Park, and PCMag will be there to bring you all the details. If you can't make it to Cupertino, Apple will livestream the event on its website.

The invitation and a tweet from CEO Tim Cook tease an "awe-dropping" event—a curious turn of phrase that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests is a "play on jaw-dropping" for the rumored ultrathin and light iPhone Air.

That slender iPhone will be the headliner, Gurman says. Inspired by the MacBook Air, it promises to be a lightweight version of the slab-style phone with which we're all familiar. If Apple plays its cards right, it could amount to a major redesign. Recently, it's made only minor tweaks to the iPhone's screen and edges, although the Air could come with trade-offs like lower battery life.

The iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max are expected to join the iPhone Air. As usual, the Pros will have better camera systems than their cheaper counterparts, but Apple is reportedly adding an orange color option for the Pros, which Apple might have confirmed via the orange outline on its logo in today's invitation.

We can also expect upgrades to the Apple Watch lineup; look for an Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. (Assuming the company sticks with the naming convention after switching up its operating system monikers to align with the year.)

Apple skipped over a major Ultra hardware upgrade last year, giving it only a cosmetic refresh with new bands and color options. However, an Ultra 3 with some wrist-busting dimensions is reportedly in the works for this year.

Will we get a sneak peek at Apple's rumored foldable phone? Cupertino has avoided the form factor as competitors like Samsung and Google move full steam ahead. It's now reportedly in the pipeline, but Apple isn't expected to launch it until next year.

The foldable iPhone is code-named V68, and it opens up into a small tablet, just like Samsung's foldable devices, Gurman says. It will have four cameras and rely on eSIM, but expect it to use Touch ID instead of Face ID, like the iPad.

If you're not in the market for a new iPhone, iOS 26 is supported on smartphones going back to the iPhone 11. Apple will likely announce when you can download the stable version of iOS 26 (as well as iPadOS 26 and macOS 26) at its event next month.

It remains to be seen if Apple will debut any AI-specific hardware features. The company has thus far struggled to get Apple Intelligence off the ground since it debuted last year on the iPhone 16 and 15 Pros, more than a month after its newest phones hit stores. The lackluster features have prompted false advertising lawsuits, and Apple has reportedly explored using the AI models of rival companies like OpenAI or Anthropic.

If Apple Intelligence had been a resounding success on the iPhone 16, it would seem like a no-brainer to keep building on it with the iPhone 17. But it took a backseat at WWDC in June, so Apple might lean on its bread and butter come Sept. 9: hardware.

Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Sensor Returns

From Jim H:

Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Sensor Returns: How to Use It and What It Can Tell You About Your Health

The smartwatch's Blood Oxygen app lets you measure the oxygen level of your blood on-demand. It's been MIA for more than a year thanks to a patent spat, but it's back in action now.

https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/apple-watch-blood-oxygen-sensor-how-to-use-what-it-reveals-about-health?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=tipstrickshowto&zdee=gAAAAABnfB5GtN0cb5HJZOvsCVPlt5Av632v_8hsv77CbBgmOSeIiazXlXiCC7v1tKKsoUrpB6blT7lD7vOlfVJjhwErLm1wf4Y8yfYoYa90W541Yg6zBrQ%3D&lctg=42917571676

Upgrade Soon: Intel-based Macs and Apps Are On Their Way Out

From Jim H

The following article suggests that older Macs may no longer get updates, because of the computer chip involved. Hmmm? That means my older MacBook Air may soon  become obsolete. I don't care for that scenario at all. Soon, Microsoft will stop supporting a couple of my PCs running Windows 10, and which can't upgrade to Windows 11. Another scenario I don't care for.

Getting old certainly has some downsides to it, I can attest!...🤔...Jim

https://soundsupport.biz/2025/07/30/upgrade-soon-intel-based-macs-and-apps-are-on-their-way-out/

Apple News

From Jim H

Take a read below on what Apple has announced. And here is what Trump has to say to Apple:

"I don’t want you building in India.” Hmmm?....Jim

Trump to Announce Additional $100 Billion Apple Investment in U.S.

The pledge was a “significant acceleration” of the company’s plan for more production in the United States, according to a White House statement. President Trump has threatened Apple and other phone manufacturers with a 25 percent tariff on products made outside the United States

President Trump plans to announce on Wednesday that Apple Inc. is pledging $100 billion in additional investment in the United States, the company’s latest move to ramp up its domestic production and avoid the president’s threat of tariffs on its iPhones.

The White House said in a statement that the pledge was a “significant acceleration” of Apple’s plan for more production in the United States and that the company had promised Mr. Trump to invest $600 billion domestically over the next four years.

Mr. Trump’s announcement, which was reported earlier by Bloomberg, will include the creation of what the White House is calling the American Manufacturing Program, which will focus on bringing more of Apple’s supply chain and advanced manufacturing to the United States.

The company said in February that it planned to spend $500 billion and hire 20,000 people in the United States over the next four years and open a factory in Texas to make the machines that power the company’s push into artificial intelligence. The company made similar, smaller pledges during the Biden administration and Mr. Trump’s first term, though it has not yet followed through on some of those promises.

While Apple supports more than 450,000 jobs with thousands of suppliers and partners across 50 states, the company has recently been expanding production in India. That has angered the president.
In May, Mr. Trump threatened Apple and other phone manufacturers with a 25 percent tariff on products made outside the United States.

During a speech in May in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mr. Trump paused to praise Jensen Huang, the chief executive of Nvidia, for traveling with the White House delegation. Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, declined to attend the trip.

“I mean, Tim Cook isn’t here, but you are,” Mr. Trump said to Mr. Huang.

Later, in Qatar, Mr. Trump said he “had a little problem with Tim Cook.” The president praised Apple’s investment in the United States, then said he had told Mr. Cook, “But now I hear you’re building all over India. I don’t want you building in India.”

Password Security

From Jim H

With today's technology, computers and smartphones, and shopping on the web, passwords and password security is very important. The Prescott Computer Society put on a video program of this topic, and I've included the following link, if you'd like to view it. It is an hour long, but darned good!

https://pcs4me.com/1988/videos/08-02-25-online-security-secrets.mp4

Here's some tips from the video regarding passwords: complex passwords are OK, but longer is stronger, and strength increases with length. Here's an example:

qwt$T* -- this a complex password, but kinda short. (don't share this around, as this might be the password to my bank account, where I stash my cash!...☺️...).  The time a hacker's program takes to figure this out, let's call it "X". If you add just one digit, the time to open it becomes 2X. Add another digit and the time becomes 4X.

Add another digit and the time becomes 8X, and so on. So, the strength increases with length, or the longer, the stronger.

A password manager app today can generate long and strong passwords for you, store them, and even open a website and log you in with the password. So, be careful with your passwords...Jim

Apple Tariff News

From Jim H

The tariffs have hit Apple hard, as the following article describes...Jim

 Apple anticipates a $1.1B price tag from tariffs next quarter.
Apple expects to face $1.1 billion in tariff-related costs next quarter on top of $800 million from the prior three months.

The iPhone-maker, which has been hit particularly hard by President Trump’s tariff push, still reported strong quarterly earnings, posting $94 billion in revenue and $23.4 billion in net income for the stretch between April and June.   

Apple sold $44.5 billion worth of iPhones last quarter, up 13 percent from the same three-month period last year, at least part of which the company attributed to consumers trying to get ahead of tariffs. 

“We would estimate the pull-forward of demand into April specifically to be about one point of the 10 points in terms of people buying because of discussions about tariffs,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said Thursday, referencing the 10 percent uptick in sales last quarter.  

The company has found itself in a tricky position on tariffs in Trump’s second term.
It has long manufactured most of its products in China but has increasingly sought to diversify its supply chain by moving some production to India and Vietnam.  

This has been less than beneficial given the president’s wide-ranging approach to tariffs this time around. Trump initially hit all three countries with hefty “reciprocal” tariffs before putting most on pause. Tariffs on Chinese goods remained in place, as Washington and Beijing went tit for tat on import taxes, raising levies on one another to 145 percent and 125 percent, respectively.  

The two sides eventually struck an agreement to lower their tariffs to 30 percent and 10 percent, a truce they agreed to extend Tuesday for an additional 90 days.  

In the meantime, Apple has shifted more production to India, prompting the country to overtake China as the leading exporter of smartphones to the U.S. last quarter.

AI in the News

From Jim H

Apple is jumping on the AI phenomenon in a big way. Take a read on the following. What, exactly, this might mean for Apple products is unclear at this time...Jim

Apple plans to 'significantly' grow AI investments and is open to M&A: Apple is open to M&A to accelerate its AI strategy, and says it's made seven acquisitions this year so far. Read More

And Tim Cook offered the following:

“We see AI as one of the most profound technologies of our lifetime. We are embedding it across our devices and platforms and across the company. We are also significantly growing our investments,” CEO Tim Cook said on the Q3 2025 earnings call with investors. “Apple has always been about taking the most advanced technologies and making them easy to use and accessible for everyone, and that’s at the heart of our AI strategy,” he added.

Updated: Tim Cook thinks AI is important enough to hold a company-wide meeting to discuss it...Jim

https://9to5mac.com/2025/08/01/tim-cook-holds-company-wide-meeting-to-address-apples-ai-woes/

AppleCare One

From Frank C: If you have not been keeping up with the news, this is a new service from Apple, and could be a very good deal for keeping your products under warranty. Please note that there will always be a deductible and replacement cost not covered by the warranty!! See the link at the end of this article for Apple’s deductible and replacement costs per device!

AppleCare One is a good deal, but not for everyone

Apple announced some big changes to its device protection plans this week with the introduction of AppleCare One. The new service lets you protect three devices for $19.99 per month. That means things like your Apple TV, AirPods Max, and iPad can be covered under one plan at a cost that doesn’t fluctuate. And every device after that costs $5.99 per month to add.

The company’s goal is to convince customers that this new service is easier and a better value compared to enrolling each device in its own AppleCare Plus plan. In reality, how much you save depends entirely on the Apple devices you have. People who buy its latest and greatest products will yield significantly more savings compared to those who buy its most affordable products. It’s a little confusing, so let’s break it down.

Apple claims that customers can save $11 each month by enrolling an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and an iPad in AppleCare One compared to paying for three individual AppleCare Plus plans for those devices. But that’s not true across the board for all of its models. For example, the monthly cost for iPhone coverage with AppleCare Plus starts at $9.99 for the cheapest  and oldest eligible models, whereas the iPad and Apple Watch start at $4.99 and $2.99 (both of which are up slightly compared to prices before this week, when the Theft and Loss benefit was tacked on for either protection plan), respectively, totaling $17.97. In this case, AppleCare One is a slightly worse deal than buying plans a la carte.

Where the new service shines is if you own some of Apple’s most expensive products, like the iPhone 16 Pro, the Apple Vision Pro, and a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with the M4 chip. Paying for a monthly AppleCare Plus plan for each of those three would cost $47.47 altogether, according to a list of prices Apple PR manager Anna Mitchell shared with The Verge. AppleCare One, on the other hand, would still be $19.99 — for any mix of three products, Mitchell confirmed — which is obviously the better deal by a huge margin.

For a more typical product buildout — like the base iPhone 16, AirPods Pro, and the latest 13-inch MacBook Air — the savings are far more modest. With AppleCare Plus, the iPhone costs $11.99 per month, the MacBook Air costs $6.99 per month, and you can pay $14.99 upfront for a year of coverage for the AirPods Pro (monthly coverage isn’t an option, but this shakes out to $1.25 per month). AppleCare One would save you a quarter each month, thereabouts. Nothing to get excited about.

What’s important to keep in mind is, just like AppleCare Plus, AppleCare One only serves as the key to unlock cheaper repair and replacement prices. You still have to pay deductibles and fees for each and every repair, and those costs vary depending on the device, as well as the type of repair you need. How much you can expect to pay — which is in addition to your monthly AppleCare fee — is listed on Apple’s website. Either warranty plan you opt for yields significant savings versus paying out of pocket without coverage. For example, accidental damage to my iPhone 13 would cost $600 without AppleCare versus $100 with it.

The answer to “Is AppleCare One a good deal?” isn’t as simple as just having expensive, high-end gear. Apple hopes to lure those who don’t upgrade their tech with every release cycle with AppleCare One. One of its biggest selling points is that you can enroll devices up to four years old that are in good condition (or up to one year old for headphones). This beats the 60-day cutoff for adding AppleCare Plus to new purchases, which is generous but easy to forget about if you don’t enroll right away. In other words, if you missed the boat on enrolling your devices originally and want to reduce the upfront cost of repairs for eligible devices, AppleCare One seems like a great way to do that. Especially since there’s no mandatory amount of time you need to be a member before you can reap the benefits of cheaper repairs.

Apple has been going hard on its services in the past handful of years, and its efforts to get its customers further embedded in its walled garden seem to be paying off. Its most recent quarterly earnings showed that services earnings were at an all-time high, and AppleCareThe answer to “Is AppleCare One a good deal?” isn’t as simple as just having expensive, high-end gear. Apple hopes to lure those who don’t upgrade their tech with every release cycle with AppleCare One. One of its biggest selling points is that you can enroll devices up to four years old that are in good condition (or up to one year old for headphones). This beats the 60-day cutoff for adding AppleCare Plus to new purchases, which is generous but easy to forget about if you don’t enroll right away. In other words, if you missed the boat on enrolling your devices originally and want to reduce the upfront cost of repairs for eligible devices, AppleCare One seems like a great way to do that. Especially since there’s no mandatory amount of time you need to be a member before you can reap the benefits of cheaper repairs.

https://www.apple.com/legal/applecare/fees-deductibles/