On Wednesday, Apple launched the Apple Watch Extremely, a $799 wearable meant for folks partaking in excessive actions like climbing mountains, working ultra-marathons, or diving. However as MacRumors factors out, breaking its display screen, button, sensors, or different numerous components whereas doing any of those actions might be very costly: repairs for the watch will value $499 in case you don’t have AppleCare Plus (we’ll get to that in a minute), based on an estimate software on Apple’s web site. That’s considerably greater than the $299 restore for an entry-level Sequence 8.
Getting the battery changed on an Extremely can even value greater than it could for Apple’s much less excessive watches, coming in at $99 as an alternative of $79. That does make some sense; the Extremely possible has a a lot greater battery than the Sequence 8, on condition that Apple estimates it’ll final twice as lengthy.
Whereas I do get that it’s at all times enjoyable to poke enjoyable at Apple’s generally out-there pricing — I nonetheless generally have a giggle on the $19 microfiber sharpening fabric — I do considerably perceive why the Extremely’s repairs will value a lot. Apple Watches are typically tiny and glued collectively, and neither of these elements makes for simple repairs. That roughly leaves Apple with two choices whenever you ship it your damaged watch; it might probably simply recycle it and ship you a refurbished one, or it might probably rent of us with critical expertise to truly restore it. Neither of these choices is precisely low-cost.
Honest or not, the Extremely’s excessive restore value isn’t distinctive. Apple estimates you’d need to pay the identical $499 to get a Titanium Sequence 7 Version repaired, which tracks on condition that the Extremely is comprised of the identical materials. (A footnote does say that delivery is free for Apple Watch Editions, the place you must pay for it in any other case. Apple didn’t instantly reply to The Verge’s request for touch upon whether or not it’d cowl delivery for the Extremely too.) These aren’t even the costliest repairs, although; in case you break your ceramic Sequence 5, you would be out $800 if you need it fastened with out AppleCare Plus.
Talking of AppleCare, although, that’s actually the answer right here. Apple’s safety plan for the Extremely is $100 upfront (or $4.99 a month), and that’ll knock repairs right down to a way more manageable $79. For those who get your Extremely repaired even as soon as — and let’s face it in case you’re one of many “outside adventurers” Apple’s advertising the watch to, you’ll most likely need to in some unspecified time in the future — you’ll come out means forward with AppleCare. Plus, Apple simply made it so the coverage covers limitless repairs as an alternative of simply two a yr, which is a boon for individuals who’ll be pushing themselves and their gear to its limits.