AppleCare One is here: cover 3 devices for $20 monthly, which could mean considerable savings

Apple has announced a new option that consumers can take to get umbrella AppleCare coverage for multiple devices.

2

It's called AppleCare One and for a fee of $19.99 monthly, subscribers can have three Apple gadgets covered. If you want more than three pieces of hardware protected, you can elect to pay $5.99 per month for each extra device.

From today, you can sign up for AppleCare One on your Mac, iPhone or iPad, or get the plan from an Apple Store. It doesn't matter what devices you enroll in the scheme, the cost is the same.

Apple provides an example whereby if a person had an iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, using the new AppleCare One option would save them $11 every month compared to having AppleCare+ separately for each device.

The new umbrella plan provides the exact same coverage as with AppleCare+, which includes unlimited repairs for accidental damage, battery coverage, and priority support from Apple.

As an added bonus, AppleCare One brings the iPad and Apple Watch into the fold for theft and loss protection (which was just for the iPhone up until now).

It's also possible to add existing Apple devices that you've already owned for some time when you take out an AppleCare One plan - though as you might guess, there are caveats here. The existing hardware must be in good condition, and only devices that are up to four years old can be given coverage - if it is older than that, you're out of luck.

The plan is a welcome dose of potentially money-saving flexibility for those who want to take up Apple on its extended warranty and accidental damage coverage (though the latter is subject to certain deductibles, as you may be aware).