If you’re going to be one of the iPad early adopters, you might want to make sure it’s covered against manufacturing defects and accidental damage. While Apple offers a one-year limited warranty and two additional years of coverage with the AppleCare Protection Plan, it only makes you eligible for repair or replacement if your iPad suffers from a manufacturing defect.
A SquareTrade warranty, on the other hand, insures your iPad against not just manufacturing defects but accidental damage as well. Should anything untoward happen to your iPad, you’ll be entitled to free repairs or a replacement from SquareTrade, depending upon the nature of the damage.
SquareTrade’s two-year warranty is currently available at an introductory price of $96 and the three-year warranty is priced at $136. The warranty has to be applied for within thirty days of purchasing the iPad.
SquareTrade Warranties are underwritten by Wesco Insurance Company and can be canceled at any time for a full refund based on the remaining months of the warranty on a pro rata basis. This option will come in handy should your iPad get lost or stolen, because SquareTrade does not cover that under the warranty. SquareTrade also offers similar services for the iPhone and pretty much every other electronic gadget you may own.