OLED iPad mini AppleCare+ costs $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year and includes theft and loss coverage. Without it, Apple estimates $529 to repair damage on the Wi-Fi model, $100 more than for the previous iPad mini.
The iPad mini ships November 6, and you can add the plan at checkout or within 60 days of buying it. The plan costs $0.50 a month more than the one for the standard iPad, and Apple sells it as AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for iPad.
iPad Mini AppleCare+ Charges $29 for a Screen and $99 for Other Damage
Screen damage can be repaired as often as needed for $29, and other accidental damage, including liquid damage, costs a flat $99 per repair. Liquid damage is not a warranty repair even with the IP67 rating, so a spill is an AppleCare+ claim. A lost or stolen iPad mini costs $129 to replace, with up to two claims every 12 months.
Theft and loss claims need Find My turned on when the iPad goes missing, and the replacement ships to you instead of being handed over in a store. The plan also replaces the battery at no charge once its capacity falls below 80 percent.
Damaged accessories are covered too, with one Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil (USB-C) and one Apple-branded iPad keyboard replaced for $29 each. Express Replacement Service ships a replacement iPad before you send yours back, and priority support runs 24 hours a day.
Skipping AppleCare+ Leaves a $529 Repair Estimate on the Wi-Fi Model
The out-of-warranty estimate for other damage is $529 on the Wi-Fi model and $579 on Wi-Fi + Cellular, compared with $429 on the previous Wi-Fi iPad mini with A17 Pro. A battery replacement without AppleCare+ costs $119.
A year of the plan plus one $99 claim comes to $158.99, which is about $370 less than the $529 estimate. Apple confirms the final fee after inspecting the iPad, so the estimate can move.
AppleCare One Adds an iPad Mini for the Same $5.99 a Month
AppleCare One Individual covers up to three products from $19.99 a month, and each extra product costs $5.99 a month, the same price as the iPad mini plan on its own. AppleCare One Family covers every eligible device for up to six people in a Family Sharing group at $49.99 a month.
Both plans carry the same service fees as AppleCare+ and include theft and loss coverage for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, so an iPad mini on either plan keeps its $29 screen fee and $99 damage fee. A new iPad mini counts as a recently purchased product, while older devices up to four years old need a diagnostic check before they can join.
