“Vintage” iPhone owner feels betrayed after paying for AppleCare for years
“Apple has had no problem collecting premiums from me for all of these years.”
iPhone 11. Image by ArieStudio | Shutterstock
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- A Reddit user says Apple quoted a 30-day replacement for their water-damaged iPhone 11.
- The user says they paid for AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for seven years without making a claim.
- Apple’s vintage category applies to products it stopped selling more than five and less than seven years ago.
- The case raised questions about replacement delays, user notice, and whether long-running AppleCare plans are worth it.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
An iPhone owner has learned their phone is “vintage” after finally having a good reason to use AppleCare service they’d been paying for for 7 years.
While tech companies release new smartphones yearly, not all users are ready to replace their devices with the latest models. Some enjoy having a smartphone for years, especially if it's well cared for and in good shape.
However, one Reddit user recently learned that their iPhone has limitations due to its age.
The user shared that they recently accidentally dropped their iPhone 11, which they’ve been using for 7 years, into deep water.
The person shared that since they purchased the smartphone, they’ve also been paying for the AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss plan, which becomes useful in cases like this one.
“I called, expecting rapid replacement, as is the main selling point of the extended service contract,” shared the user.
However, they were informed that, because their iPhone model is considered vintage, it will be replaced following a 30-day process, leaving them without a phone for a month.
“Apple has had no problem collecting premiums from me for all of these years, and I have not made a claim on it ever,” noted the Redditor.
Should users have been notified about the change?
Given that the person was left without a phone after the incident, they wanted it replaced as soon as possible and asked for any alternatives to expedite the replacement.
However, the company shared that because the phone is on the list, it needs to go through the “vintage replacement process.”
The Redditor then asked Apple for proof of when they were informed that their smartphone had been added to the vintage list, so they could have thought about what to do next with their Apple Care service.
However, the company couldn’t provide it, so the user reported the situation to their state attorney general. They also encouraged others in similar situations to do the same, saying that “this change in service violates consumer protection laws.”
The Redditor also shared that, due to the policy, they had to buy a new phone because they couldn’t wait a month for the replacement.
Apple service for vintage devices
According to Apple, its vintage products are considered those that the company “stopped distributing for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.”
The iPhone 11 was released in 2019, and Apple stopped distributing it in 2022. Its Pro and Pro Max models were discontinued in 2020, so they are already on the list of obsolete iPhone products worldwide.
According to this information, if the user’s smartphone is an iPhone 11 and not an iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max, then the device isn’t on the list.
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Some users were also quick to notice this, with one user noting that “becoming vintage does not automatically mean AppleCare coverage suddenly changes or that Apple simply leaves you without a proper replacement.”
In this case, the company should’ve explained why it considers the iPhone 11 as vintage, “and whether this 30-day process is actually due to replacement stock availability rather than some blanket AppleCare policy change,” added the user.
The situation prompted a few ex-Apple employees to share their 2 cents on the matter.
They agreed that AppleCare is worth having when the device is new.
“Apple has a plan that covers accidental damage, theft, and loss for multiple devices at once for one price. To me (and many others), it’s very worth carrying the protection,” noted one Redditor.
The service ensures that once a user pays a hefty sum for the device, they don’t have to pay it again if they damage it.
“But finding a replacement or repair parts for an iPhone 11, 7 years later, is another story,” wrote one user who used to work for Apple.
“Due to corporate and government regulations, we can’t give the customer a different device, so the store now needs to source a new iPhone 11 from…somewhere,” they added.
However, neither user could explain why the company didn’t offer the customer an upgrade or express replacement.
Is AppleCare worth it?
The situation prompted a discussion about whether it’s actually worth having an AppleCare plan.
While some agreed that this service is useful in the event of an accident, and when you don’t have a thousand dollars to just buy a new phone, some users were still skeptical about it.
“I mean, with the money you have paid Apple care for this long, couldn’t you have bought another though?” wrote one user.
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“You probably paid enough in Apple Care over those years to have paid for a brand new phone,” added another netizen.
The author of the post agreed, stating that they plan on having insurance instead of AppleCare, adding:
“[...] I did not get the service I paid for, and 30 days is a long time to wait. I had to go out and drop $500 on a used iPhone to log into work and pay my bills.”
Cybernews has contacted the post author and Apple for additional comment.
