AirPods Pro and AppleCare+

Last month, I upgraded my three year old Sony WF-1000XM3 noise canceling earbuds and got a pair of the new Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen). Along with that, I got the AppleCare+ coverage for them. The cost of $29 to cover my new $250 earbuds for two years complete with accidental damage protection seemed reasonable for something I will carry with me all the time.

I didn’t figure I would use it so soon though. Over the weekend, I went out for lunch wearing my AirPods (La Vic’s burrito and taco) and came home to do laundry. I got everything in the wash and sat down to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II when I get a ping on my iPhone letting me know that I had left my AirPods behind, the last time they were seen were at my home address.

It took a second for the horror to set in and for me to realize I had left them in the pocket of my jeans which were now happily being washed. I stopped the washer and pulled out the AirPods Pro. I rinsed off the soap and then let them dry overnight.

The next morning, I charged them up, except the left earbud did not charge. Sigh. I visited the local Apple Store and they checked it out and said they’d replace the whole set (both earbuds and the charging case) – but they did not have the case in stock and would order it. I was told it could take up to five days for the case to arrive.

Today, two days later, I got an email and a call from the Apple Store letting me know that the case arrived. I took a trip to the store and picked up my new AirPods Pro. The cost was $29 for the replacement set. I charged them up and I just tested and they work.

I’m impressed by the service provided by Apple via AppleCare+.