Macs Effectively Now Have a Three-Year Warranty in Australia and New Zealand Under Consumer Law

If you bought and own a Mac in Australia or New Zealand, your computer effectively now has warranty coverage for up to three years from its original date of purchase, even without purchasing optional AppleCare+ coverage.

mac family trio lineup
Apple will now offer warranty coverage on most Mac parts for up to 24 months after its limited one-year warranty period, under consumer law in each country, according to an internal document distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers and later obtained by MacRumors.

Apple is complying with existing Australia and New Zealand laws giving consumers the right to ask for a repair or replacement free of charge if a product experiences failure within a "reasonable" amount of time after purchase.

Mac owners can inquire about service under Australian and New Zealand consumer law at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, but we can't guarantee that every employee will be knowledgable about this policy. The change in policy is effective from today—that's December 13, 2017.

Eligible parts include the display, battery, SSD or hard drive, RAM, logic boards, GPU, internal cables, power supply, and other electronic components, so virtually every aspect of a Mac is covered, according to the document.

Apple provides a summary of consumer law, its limited one-year warranty, and its optional AppleCare+ coverage on its website in Australia and New Zealand.

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

DaveP Avatar
107 months ago
Of course when prices increase further in Australia, that will be purely coincidental. Customers will pay for this one way or another.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Defthand Avatar
107 months ago
By now, the average expected service life of electronic components should be well known. It’s ridiculous that manufacturers can absolve themselves of any liability for defective or subpar parts by declaring a warranty period of their own choosing. The warranty should be proportional to the quality level declared by the manufacturer. If Apple, for example, were to advertise that their laptops meet a defined industry specification for best-in-class parts, then Apple should back up that claim with a better guarantee. What do they stand to lose if their advertising claim is genuine? Meanwhile, a discount-minded manufacturer can declare a lower quality expectation for its product and have less liability for performance failures.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
b5stephen Avatar
107 months ago
I’m not sure why people think prices will go up. There is no new law here. New Zealand has had this law for decades. The difference is that Apple now has internal policies that fully recognise the Consumer Guarantees Act instead of consumers needing to bring Apple before a tribunal each time it disagrees with what a ‘reasonable’ period of time means.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
urtules Avatar
107 months ago
This shouldn't be a problem for Apple because I never had problems with Mac in a first 4-5 years, but rest of PC industry going to struggle.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fiachers Avatar
107 months ago
Of course when prices increase further in Australia, that will be purely coincidental. Customers will pay for this one way or another.
Give me a break. In Ireland, they don't even cover two years as per EU law, and the prices are already unbelievably exorbitant, regardless of taxes, import charges and other factors. They should follow local laws and people should stop bitching about it and making excuses.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tzm41 Avatar
107 months ago
I believe what consumers need is choice and best prices, US has lowest prices for any Apple products, thanks to lack of regulations.
Wait you sure? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/09/14/much-does-iphone-x-cost-around-world/ says otherwise. Japan and HK have them cheaper (unless you live in a state without sales tax).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)