Good luck trying to paint the picture that AppleCare is a waste of money. I've owned hundreds of Apple products since AppleCare became a thing. I've "had to use it" once, and that one use replaced a $4500 product for $0. The ROI on AppleCare always works out.
If you've had AppleCare since it became a thing, you've basically paid the same price for AppleCare over that time as it would have cost to replace the $4500 product on its own.
Android devices and PC laptops don't need service plans. But as you've demonstrated, Apple products do. Even the $4500 ones.