Apple Watch AppleCare Details Rumored

Apple provided more details about the Apple Watch last month, but what it didn’t provide were details about how much Apple Watch AppleCare+ would cost for the new wearable, but those details are now rumored.

According to 9to5Mac, AppleCare+ for the entry-level Apple Watch Sport will cost $59, which will give users a second year of technical support on top of the free year that comes provided when you purchase the device, as well as the ability to claim up to two incidents of accidental hardware damage.

AppleCare+ for the stainless steel Apple Watch will be priced at $79, which is still cheaper than the $99 that Apple charges for AppleCare+ with the iPhone and iPad. However, AppleCare+ for the gold Apple Watch Edition will cost buyers a steep $999.

Of course, there will likely be a deductible when you do file an accidental damage claim in order to receive a replacement, but those prices have yet to be revealed or even rumored at this point. However, those details should come soon enough.

Buyers can pre-order the Apple Watch starting on April 10, either online or in-store. However, those that pre-order in-store will be able to try on the Apple Watch in order to find a size that works for them, making the in-store pre-order option a better choice for those that want the best fit.

There will be three different models of the Apple Watch with prices starting at $349 for the entry-level Apple Watch Sport, and then the stainless steel Apple Watch starting at $549, with the gold Apple Watch Edition priced at $10,000.

Read: 4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Buy an Apple Watch

Most buyers will likely aim for the $349 Apple Watch Sport due to the lower price tag, but it will be interesting to see which model becomes the most popular. Apple will certainly have to compete with other smartwatches on the market, especially considering that Android Wear support could be headed to iOS soon.

The report says that Google could release an Android Wear iPhone app during its Google I/O conference in May, but it could also play it by ear depending how well initial sales are for the Apple Watch. Google could want to target an Android Wear iPhone app to those iOS users who didn’t initially buy an Apple Watch, either because of the price, or because of the features.

Apple announced the Apple Watch back in September at its iPhone 6 event and will officially release the device on April 24. The Apple Watch will start at $349, which is a bit steep, considering that you can buy a Moto 360 for $249. Because of this, if Android Wear support did come to the iPhone, a price war could be upon us fairly quickly, as some users may go with the cheaper option.

Furthermore, Android Wear smartwatches haven’t been selling too well, so expanding support to iOS will increase Google’s market for Android Wear, and could increase sales with iPhone and iPad users in the mix, considering the popularity of iOS devices.

In any case, we’ll have to wait until May for Google I/O to kick off to see what the company plans to do about the relationship between Android Wear and iOS. Google already has a huge foot inside the iOS door, with plenty of apps to go around for iPhone users, including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive, etc. Adding Android Wear to the mix would certainly be a welcomed addition.