MacRumors is reporting that Apple is ending its longstanding informal policy of offering free iPhone replacements to morons like me who accidentally damage our devices. From now on, you'll need to shell out for AppleCare+ to replace accidentally damaged phones.
Apple's previous policy gave its geniuses some leeway in deciding whether or not to waive the $199 charge when replacing a phone, as many people who have wandered into an Apple Store with a busted iPhone have pleasantly discovered. The new $99 AppleCare+ policy includes coverage for two incidents of accidental damage (plus a $49 service fee), but, according to Macrumors, ends the Genius Bar employees power to waive that fee for anyone else.
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Pony up, butterfingers. [MacRumors]