Revolutionary Change: Apple shifts to subscription-based AppleCare+ with exclusive benefits at Apple Stores and potentially limited to the U.S. market.

Mark Gurman, of Bloomberg fame, previously reported that Apple Stores will be transitioning to offering an additional product insurance plan, AppleCare+ in a subscription model, with monthly payments replacing the traditional 2-3 year purchase plan. This change will take effect starting this week.

Gurman mentioned that this change will apply specifically to purchases made at Apple Stores only, but will not impact online purchases of AppleCare+. It is still unclear whether this direction will only affect Apple Stores in the United States or have a global reach.

An example of the updated pricing for monthly AppleCare+ includes the iPhone 16 Pro Max, previously priced at $199 for a 2-year term, now priced at $9.99 per month (which adds up to be more expensive in the long run).

Source: Mark Gurman

TLDR: Apple Stores are shifting towards offering AppleCare+ in a subscription model with monthly payments, differing from the previous purchase plan. This change will affect in-store purchases only and may result in higher costs for consumers.