Apple Watch Ultra repairs could be ultra-expensive

Image: Apple

On Wednesday, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra, a $799 device that is meant for people who are involved in extreme sports. If you don't have AppleCare Plus, repairs for the watch will cost you more than $500 if you break it while doing anything. The repair for an entry level Series 8 is $299.

The cost of getting the battery replaced on an Ultra will be more than the cost of a less extreme watch from Apple. It makes sense that the Ultra has a bigger battery than the Series 8 since Apple says it will last twice as long.

It is fun to poke fun at Apple's sometimes out-there pricing, but I do understand why the Ultra's repairs will cost so much. Apple Watches are small and not easy to repair. Apple has two options when you send a broken watch to it; it can recycle it and send you a refurbished one or it can hire people to fix it. Both of those options are expensive.

The Ultra's repair price isn't unique. If the Ultra is made from the same material as the Titanium Series 7 Edition, you would have to pay the same amount of money for a repair. You have to pay for shipping if you want to get the Apple Watch Edition. It wasn't immediately clear if Apple would cover shipping for the Ultra as well. If you break your ceramic Series 5, you could be out hundreds of dollars for a repair.

That is the real solution here. If you sign up for Apple's protection plan for the Ultra, you'll get $100 up front, or $4.99 a month, and that will allow you to repair the device for less than $90. You will come out way ahead with AppleCare if you get your Ultra repaired at least once. Those who will be pushing themselves and their gear to its limits will be happy to know that Apple just made it so the policy covers unlimited repairs instead of just two a year.

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