AT&T also teases "exciting" announcement; $99 AppleCare+ rumored for new iPad

Posted:
in iPad edited January 2014


As Apple is expected to take the wraps off its next-generation iPad on Wednesday, AT&T Wireless has joined rival Verizon in trumpeting an "exciting new addition" to its line-up that is coming soon to the carrier. Also, a new report claims Apple will offer $99 AppleCare+ for iPad warranty coverage for the new tablet.



AT&T



AT&T put up a promotional page ( Cult of Mac) teasing an as-yet-unannounced product late Tuesday night.



"Coming soon! Get ready to see an exciting new addition to our line-up," the page read. Customers were encouraged to "be first in line" by signing up for an email notification about the news.



AT&T's teaser was preceded earlier in the day by a similar move from Verizon Wireless. The largest carrier in the U.S. teased that "something is coming" and also included a submission form for customer email addresses.



Considering AT&T and Verizon are the only two LTE operators in the U.S. and their teasers went up on the eve of Apple's iPad media event, evidence appears to point to the unveiling of an LTE-capable iPad on Wednesday.











Reports that Apple will add LTE to the third-generation iPad have persisted for months and have gained momentum in the weeks leading up to Apple's event. Verizon was rumored late Tuesday to have been installing LTE network equipment at Apple Retail Stores in the U.S. over the past couple days.



In addition to LTE, the next-generation tablet is expected to have a Retina Display, 1GB of RAM and an upgraded processor.



AppleCare+



Apple introduced the AppleCare+ warranty program last October alongside the iPhone 4S. The $99 service added up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage with a deductible of $49.



MacRumors received word on Tuesday that Apple will introduce AppleCare+ for iPad beginning on Wednesday with the third-generation iPad. The service will reportedly also cost $99 and is expected to replace the current $79 standard AppleCare package.



The publication's source did not provide specific details on coverage for the iPad, but the warranty program would likely also include accidental damage coverage similar to that of AppleCare+ for iPhone.











Though AppleCare+ for iPhone was initially only available if it was purchased at the same time as a new iPhone, Apple eventually extended the service to allow customers to purchase the warranty within 30 days after buying a handset.



[ View article on AppleInsider ]

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    any takers??? not sure how much i can get but i def selling it- its in mint brand spanking new condition NO SCRATCHES, NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE STILL HAVE THE ORIGINAL BOXING and I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER- [email protected]



    make me an offer i can't refuse.. : )
  • Reply 2 of 28
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bitzandbitez View Post


    any takers??? Not sure how much i can get but i def selling it- its in mint brand spanking new condition no scratches, never left the house still have the original boxing and i am the original owner- [email protected]



    make me an offer i can't refuse.. : )



    $20.00
  • Reply 3 of 28
    The only thing exciting about AT&T will be when they announce bankruptcy.
  • Reply 4 of 28
    bugsnwbugsnw Posts: 717member
    I love the new AppleCare+ and didn't even realize I purchased it with my iPhone4S. When I went in with a suspected hardware issue, they checked for water damage and apparently my phone had been subjected to too much moisture.



    Odd since I only use it inside and in my car, but it didn't matter. For $49, I got a new iPhone4S.



    I've always purchased AppleCare with my Macs and now will continue with the portable gear, minus the cheapies like the nano.
  • Reply 5 of 28
    Dittoing Jack Mac. I'll be excited when AT&T goes out of business
  • Reply 6 of 28
    tylerk36tylerk36 Posts: 1,037member
    MacRumors is communist. When you say these two words in a statement they threaten to ban you "China Sucks". Oh well. Cant wait to see the new iPad. I plan to buy one my self. Cool.
  • Reply 7 of 28
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member
    I haven't bought an extended warranty in my life. I'm not going to start now.



    Of course, I lost my iPad2. So I should re-think that. But I'm not going to.
  • Reply 8 of 28
    Hmm, AppleCare+, being announced along with the iPad2+... Yeah, I think I got that. Verizon LTE+ for better reception...yeah, okay. 2012, will be the year of the PLUS!
  • Reply 9 of 28
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AaronJ View Post


    I haven't bought an extended warranty in my life. I'm not going to start now.



    Of course, I lost my iPad2. So I should re-think that. But I'm not going to.



    it cracks me up when i'm at BESTBUY or an electronics store and I see the dumbass's buying the 60" inch flat screens for like $3,000. and then when the sales rep suggest they buy the extra care for it they refuse to and I just wish I could be the fly on the wall when that shyt breaks down and its one day after their warranty expired... trust me I've had APPLECARE for every apple product I own, MACBOOK PRO, IPHONE4 and iPAD2 and its worth every penny... I purchased a August 2007 MACBOOK PRO and with 3 days left on my APPLECARE WARRANTY I took it in for a last minute check (nothing was wrong with it) I was just making sure that it was ok before i didn't have any protection on it in August of 2010 and the APPLE genius bar dude replaced it with a BRAND NEW 2010 model and then 8 months after that I wasn't happy with it because my original model 2007 Macbook was a Matte Screen and they had replaced it with a Glossy Screen one so 8 months in I went back to the store and they again gave me a BRAND NEW MID 2011 THUNDERBOLT MACBOOK PRO MATTE FINISH model.



    now try that without APPLECARE and APPLE won't CARE!!!
  • Reply 10 of 28
    rbryanhrbryanh Posts: 263member
    AT&T couldn't excite me if they announced they were going to pay Tatum Channing and Joe Mangianello to strip naked and insinuate high grade cocaine into all my orifices at once while I watched Lilly Tomlin perform Ernestine one more time.



    It's taken decades but the fetishistically shined jackboot really is on the other foot?



    They're a telephone company. I don't care. I don't have to.
  • Reply 11 of 28
    misamisa Posts: 827member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bitzandbitez View Post


    it cracks me up when i'm at BESTBUY or an electronics store and I see the dumbass's buying the 60" inch flat screens for like $3,000. and then when the sales rep suggest they buy the extra care for it they refuse to and I just wish I could be the fly on the wall when that shyt breaks down and its one day after their warranty expired..



    Extended warranty is only necessary depending on the amount of use a device gets and moving parts it has.



    The iPad, iPhone, and Macbook Air, are probably close to indestructible short of taking the thing and beating someone with it or giving it a bath, both which aren't warranty covered.



    Laptops with spinning hard drives are very fragile, and the two parts that most often replaced in laptops are the hard drive (which is like 100$) and the power supply brick because people don't pay attention to what they drape their cables over and mr.fluffy chews on it. You are far better off buying the extended warranty for laptops that get a lot of use because you will eventually need it.



    Monitors and television screens are usually not moved or futzed around with once they are installed. However they tend to change color with age, and the power supply tends to die first in these as well. If it doesn't go *BANG* in the first 30 days of use, it's probably going to last until the power supply fails.



    If you buy a TV and only watch it for 2 hours a day, you won't need the extended warranty. If you watch it for 8 hours a day, yes you might want it.



    Speaking from experience. Your power company may be responsible for more electronics failing than you realize. (This one time like 15 years ago, the local utility killed everyone's PC's that weren't plugged into surge protectors, I think it was from a transformer failure somewhere.)
  • Reply 12 of 28
    29922992 Posts: 202member
    wtf can be "exciting" about AppleCare. With or without +.
  • Reply 13 of 28
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bitzandbitez View Post


    it cracks me up when i'm at BESTBUY or an electronics store and I see the dumbass's buying the 60" inch flat screens for like and then when the sales rep suggest they buy the extra care for it they refuse to and I just wish I could be the fly on the wall when that shyt breaks down...!



    On most electronic products nowadays, extended warranty have been proved to be unnecessary. Which? UK investigated.



    Your home insurance will probably include lost of personal belongings

    when away from home as well and if you buy good quality product like Apple, the chance they breakdown within the extended period is low. Of course, it all depends on personal circumstances - if you're kind of clumsy person or live in a volatile environment then it is perhaps advisable.
  • Reply 14 of 28
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AaronJ View Post


    I haven't bought an extended warranty in my life. I'm not going to start now.



    Of course, I lost my iPad2. So I should re-think that. But I'm not going to.



    Wow! Even Solips has an alias on this site!!
  • Reply 15 of 28
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tylerk36 View Post


    MacRumors is communist. When you say these two words in a statement they threaten to ban you "China Sucks". Oh well. Cant wait to see the new iPad. I plan to buy one my self. Cool.



    Censorship is never good! However you have to realize that China is a far better place than many on this planet. So if people take offense it is for good reason.



    So think a bit about what you are saying.
  • Reply 16 of 28
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    The reason I do that with respect to the iPhone is that it is my only communications device, I have no other cell phone nor land line. If an extended warranty allows me to get instant phone replacements then I'm all for an extended warranty in this case.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AaronJ View Post


    I haven't bought an extended warranty in my life. I'm not going to start now.



    For just about everything else these warranties are a rip off.

    Quote:

    Of course, I lost my iPad2. So I should re-think that. But I'm not going to.



    How would an extended warranty help there?



    In this case $99 is ripoff pricing. People need to step back and realize that is 1/5 the price of a new machine. Considering the device already has a warranty, this is extremely expensive insurance. The best thing I can advocate for is that people take all of the dollars they might spend on Apple care and put it in the bank. Even with today's terrible interest rates it is better use of your money. As a side note there was a time when it would have been wise to suggest buying Apple stock, now most people can't afford that.
  • Reply 17 of 28
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bitzandbitez View Post


    it cracks me up when i'm at BESTBUY or an electronics store and I see the dumbass's buying the 60" inch flat screens for like $3,000. and then when the sales rep suggest they buy the extra care for it they refuse to and I just wish I could be the fly on the wall when that shyt breaks down and its one day after their warranty expired...



    People don't buy these warranties because they are a ripoff. Following your advice people would be thousands of dollars poorer and gain nothing.

    Quote:

    trust me I've had APPLECARE for every apple product I own, MACBOOK PRO, IPHONE4 and iPAD2 and its worth every penny...



    The only extended warranty I ever have purchased is for my iPhone and that is due to it being a critical piece of equipment.

    Quote:

    I purchased a August 2007 MACBOOK PRO and with 3 days left on my APPLECARE WARRANTY I took it in for a last minute check (nothing was wrong with it) I was just making sure that it was ok before i didn't have any protection on it in August of 2010 and the APPLE genius bar dude replaced it with a BRAND NEW 2010 model and



    So what was wrong with it?

    Quote:

    then 8 months after that I wasn't happy with it because my original model 2007 Macbook was a Matte Screen and they had replaced it with a Glossy Screen one so 8 months in I went back to the store and they again gave me a BRAND NEW MID 2011 THUNDERBOLT MACBOOK PRO MATTE FINISH model.



    now try that without APPLECARE and APPLE won't CARE!!!



    It actually sounds a bit fishy to me. I see no reason why Apple would replace a working Mac just because you took it in to be looked at. It is no wonder Apple has had to tighten up its Apple care standards to fight fraud and other abuses.
  • Reply 18 of 28
    carmissimocarmissimo Posts: 837member
    Exciting addition suggests something other than an iPad update. That is, unless Apple intends to splinter off the iPad line, offering a lower-cost variation based on the current iPad and a more expensive version featuring higher resolution and performance.
  • Reply 19 of 28
    freediverxfreediverx Posts: 1,423member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bitzandbitez View Post


    it cracks me up when i'm at BESTBUY or an electronics store and I see the dumbass's buying the 60" inch flat screens for like $3,000. and then when the sales rep suggest they buy the extra care for it they refuse to and I just wish I could be the fly on the wall when that shyt breaks down and its one day after their warranty expired... trust me I've had APPLECARE for every apple product I own, MACBOOK PRO, IPHONE4 and iPAD2 and its worth every penny... I purchased a August 2007 MACBOOK PRO and with 3 days left on my APPLECARE WARRANTY I took it in for a last minute check (nothing was wrong with it) I was just making sure that it was ok before i didn't have any protection on it in August of 2010 and the APPLE genius bar dude replaced it with a BRAND NEW 2010 model and then 8 months after that I wasn't happy with it because my original model 2007 Macbook was a Matte Screen and they had replaced it with a Glossy Screen one so 8 months in I went back to the store and they again gave me a BRAND NEW MID 2011 THUNDERBOLT MACBOOK PRO MATTE FINISH model.



    now try that without APPLECARE and APPLE won't CARE!!!



    Big difference in the service you'll get from AppleCare vs. BestBuy's extended warranty. I would never pay Best Buy a dime for an extended warranty or for installation/support service.
  • Reply 20 of 28
    aaronjaaronj Posts: 1,595member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BestKeptSecret View Post


    Wow! Even Solips has an alias on this site!!



    Oh come on.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    The reason I do that with respect to the iPhone is that it is my only communications device, I have no other cell phone nor land line. If an extended warranty allows me to get instant phone replacements then I'm all for an extended warranty in this case.



    For just about everything else these warranties are a rip off.



    I get that.



    Quote:

    How would an extended warranty help there?



    It wouldn't have. I'm just ... irritated that it happened, I guess.



    Quote:

    In this case $99 is ripoff pricing. People need to step back and realize that is 1/5 the price of a new machine. Considering the device already has a warranty, this is extremely expensive insurance. The best thing I can advocate for is that people take all of the dollars they might spend on Apple care and put it in the bank. Even with today's terrible interest rates it is better use of your money. As a side note there was a time when it would have been wise to suggest buying Apple stock, now most people can't afford that.



    My iPhone is still functional. My iPhone 3GS, I gave it to my dad, and he uses it to run apps and play music and podcasts. My iPad2 was great, even after having fallen on the sidewalk and getting scratched, until I lost it.



    In my experience at the Apple Store, they will help you out, even if you're out of warranty, if they can. Will that change? I have no idea. I doubt it, though.
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