Apple Will Charge You $499 for AppleCare Plus on the Vision Pro Headset

With a price tag of $3,499 for the entry-level model, the Apple Vision Pro is making some potential buyers think twice, but you could end up spending still more for the long-awaited mixed reality headset (which is available for preorder ahead of the Feb. 2 release date).

That's because Apple is offering several add-ons for the Vision Pro you have to seriously consider. For starters, if you use prescription glasses and don't wear contacts, you'll want to think about the Zeiss optical inserts, which start at $99. Also, considering the Vision Pro battery life is only a couple of hours, a spare battery wouldn't hurt, and that's an extra $199. There's also the travel case for $199.

And if you want broader coverage to protect your Vision Pro beyond the regular Apple warranty, that's another $499 on top of everything else. If you want to protect your Vision Pro from accidental damage with AppleCare Plus, then you'll need to drop $499 for two years of protection, or $25 per month for 24 months. 

The AppleCare Plus plan for the Vision Pro doesn't cover theft, and while it does cover accidental damage, you'll have to pay a $299 service fee for damage to the Vision Pro and a $29 service fee for damage to accessories, like the included battery and cable (not for accessories not included in the original packaging or third-party accessories).

You do, however, have unlimited incidents of accidental damage protection; you'll just pay a service fee each time. 

Once you make a claim via AppleCare Plus, you can mail in your device, using a prepaid shipping box provided by Apple or you can take your device into an Apple Store or authorized service provider. You can also request express replacement service so that Apple ships you a replacement device so you don't have to wait for any repairs.

The Vision Pro comes with one year of hardware repair coverage, via limited warranty, but this only covers "defects in materials and workmanship when used normally in accordance with Apple's published guidelines." That doesn't include accidental damage. You also get 90 days of complimentary technical support.

You can get AppleCare Plus at the same time you buy the Vision Pro, or you can get it within 60 days of your purchase.

For comparison, you can purchase three years of AppleCare Plus coverage for the 15-inch MacBook Air for $229. For three years for the Mac Pro, it's $499. Two years of AppleCare Plus for the iPhone 13, 14 or 14 is $149. If you are thinking about third-party protection, Asurion's Home Device Protect plan will cover the headset for $12 a month for the first three months and then $25 a month each month after, with a service fee of $99 for each approved claim.

If you want to read more about the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, check out all the Vision Pro apps that will and won't be available at launch and Scott Stein's latest test-drive of the Vision Pro.