Multiple reports said that Best Buy was going to strengthen its ties with Apple by selling AppleCare extended warranties on top of its own protection plans for Apple products, including the iPhone. Rumors said that Best Buy would add AppleCare to its lineup of in-store offerings in time for the iPhone 6s release, and the company’s CEO has just confirmed that AppleCare is indeed coming to Best Buy.
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Best Buy was rumored to be planning to sell AppleCare in stores starting September 13th, or just a few days after the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are supposed to be announced – assuming the September 9th keynote event date is confirmed by Apple.
Now, Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly has told Wall Street analysts on an earnings call that AppleCare will be available from Best Buy starting with next quarter, without specifying a precise launch date. The company reported better numbers than Wall Street expected, singling out its relationship with Apple as a major factor that contributed to its rise in revenue and profit.
Joly said the Apple Watch has been selling well in stores and online, without revealing any sales numbers. The watch will be available at all of Best Buy’s 1,050 big-box stores by the end of September. Initially, Best Buy planned to have the Watch in 300 stores by Christmas.
The CEO also said that the retail chain is taking steps that will deepen its relationship with Apple, Fortune reports. Best Buy is updating its Apple kiosks at 740 stores, adding “new fixtures and more display tables for phones, computers, and tablets.” Best Buy will also start testing out an authorized service provider program at 50 stores in the future, in addition to selling AppleCare service this quarter.
Apple’s iPhone 6s is expected to launch on September 18th, according to reports, with preorders set to begin a week earlier, on September 7th.
