The two times I’ve had AppleCare, it’s really come through when needed and was simple, solid and done well. I felt like I was done right and it wasn’t a hassle. I took the product in to a local Apple authorized service/repair provider and things were fixed in a timely, efficient manner. I think AppleCare has a good reputation for what it is.
I didn’t respond to your original question because I’ve never used AT&T’s protection/insurance. I have been with them since June 2004, and have had good phone service/experience with them, minus a couple of snags/hassles. But that’s not bad over a 17* year stretch.
My only real beef with AT&T is how hard is is in recent years to get a human on the phone (but that’s probably true of any big company anymore). I’d just hate to marry that with a repair/warranty issue. I could see that getting frustrating really quick.
You made the right choice, IMO.
FWIW, I rarely get AppleCare because I keep stuff so long. If I were a three-year cycle kinda guy, I probably would, but for 20+ years now I’ve kept my various Macs, iPods and iPhones WAY past the point any reasonable person does, presfering to let them die a natural death.
The weird/funny part? The only two times I needed AppleCare were the two times I bought it. I felt like maybe I jinxed myself doing so.
PS - I’ve never had AppleCare on any iPhone I’ve owned (a total of four since 2007).