Apple Refurbished Products: Should You Buy Them?

There's sometimes a stigma against purchasing refurbished electronics because most companies don't have rigorous quality control programs for refurbished devices, but that's not the case with Apple. Some companies may sell refurbished items with cosmetic defects and other issues, but Apple's refurbished products available from its online store are "as good as new" products with a lower price tag.

Apple says that every refurbished iPad, iPhone, Mac, Apple TV, or Apple accessory goes through a certification process that confirms everything works, and with iPhones and iPads, each one gets a new outer shell and a fresh battery. All refurbished products come with a one-year warranty, just like new devices. You can get refurbished or used Apple products at steeper discounts from third-party retailers, but only Apple has an established refurbishment process and inspection.

As long as you can wait a few months to pick up an Apple product, there's little downside to purchasing a refurbished model. The quality is the same as a new device and the price savings can be worth the wait. This guide covers the ins and outs of refurbished products, from release timelines and prospective price savings to warranty information.

What is a Refurbished Product?

The products sold in Apple's online refurbished store are pre-owned products that have been returned to Apple by customers who ran into some kind of defect, such as a faulty SSD on a MacBook Pro, an Apple Watch with a software issue, an iPhone with a broken camera, or dead pixels on an ‌iPad‌'s display. They may also be products that customers ended up not wanting and returned in perfect condition.

Apple repairs many of these products and replaces faulty parts before offering them for sale again through the online refurbished site. Refurbished products are only available through Apple's website and are not offered in retail stores, but when buying one, you can select in-store pickup.

Refurbished Products Available From Apple

Apple offers a range of refurbished products in its online store, from Macs and iPads to the ‌Apple TV‌ and Apple Watch. Refurbished products include stock models as well as those that have been custom built with upgraded parts using Apple's build-to-order options.

Apple's refurbished categories are listed below, and include both current and discontinued devices.

• Mac
• iPad
• iPhone
• Apple Watch
• AirPods
• Apple TV
• HomePod
• Accessories

All refurbished iPhones sold in the United States are unlocked and can be used with any carrier.

Stock Fluctuations

The stock on Apple's refurbished site is based on what people return or have replaced. That means the refurbished products listed fluctuate and are only available in very limited quantities. It also means many of the Macs that are available may not be stock machines, instead featuring upgrades to hardware like RAM, SSD storage, and processors.

Purchasing a refurbished Mac can be confusing because Apple offers older machines right alongside newer machines. It's often difficult to tell the difference between processors and other hardware across generations, especially for those who don't keep up with what's new in Apple's yearly refreshes.

Before making a purchase from the refurbished store, read all product descriptions and research the hardware in the machine to make sure that it meets your needs. Many older Macs continue to be capable options that will last for many years, but there can be differences in performance and included features.

Getting a specific Mac or ‌iPad‌ from the refurbished store may mean waiting for several days to several weeks and checking often for new stock of the desired model. When planning to buy from the refurbished store, it's best to assume there will be a wait involved, especially if you're looking for exact color options and upgrades.

Apple's Pricing

The main reason to purchase a refurbished Apple product is for the discount, which drops the prices on both current-generation Macs and iPads and older now-discontinued machines. Discounts on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices are up to 15 percent.

On many models, Apple includes the discount percentage and the exact amount saved, but for others, including older Macs, manual price comparisons will need to be made. Prices take into account the hardware upgrades included in refurbished build-to-order Macs.

In most cases, Apple's refurbished prices aren't going to beat the discounts you can get from unofficial third-party sites that offer refurbished machines, but they are going to be more affordable than new machines. Apple's refurbished discounts also often beat sale prices on newer products available from third-party retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon.

Refurbished products from Apple work with Apple Trade In, so you can lower the price by trading in an older device.

How Does Apple Test Refurbished Products?

On its website, Apple outlines the testing procedures that are used to confirm that each product is in full working condition and free from blemishes and other cosmetic defects.

Apple says its refurbishment procedures use the same basic technical guidelines that are used during its Finished Goods testing procedures for retail products.

• Every unit is evaluated to make sure it meets Apple's quality standards.
• Each product goes through full testing and defective modules are replaced with genuine Apple parts.
• Devices go through a thorough cleaning process and inspection.
• iPhones and iPads get a new battery and outer shell
• After inspection, devices are repackaged in new boxes with appropriate manuals and cables
• Devices include either the operating system that originally came with the unit, or a more recent version.
• There's a final QA inspection before refurbished devices become available for sale.

Packaging

A refurbished product sold by Apple is nearly indistinguishable from a new product, aside from the packaging. Apple's refurbished products come in a plain white box with an "Apple Certified Refurbished" guarantee and the name of the product on the front. In contrast, Apple's retail packaging often includes eye-catching images of the product.

Inside the box, refurbished products and new products include the same cables and manuals.

Warranty and AppleCare

Apple's warranty policy for refurbished products is one of the main reasons why it's safe to purchase refurbished items.

Apple sells all of its refurbished products with the same one-year warranty and 90 days of phone support that it offers with all of its standard retail products. That means if something goes wrong with a refurbished product during the first 365 days after you buy it, Apple will fix the issue at no cost or offer a free replacement. You can also return it during the first two weeks, just like anything else purchased from Apple.

Refurbished products can be serviced at an Apple retail store, via mail, or through an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

AppleCare+ can be purchased alongside refurbished products, extending the warranty period. Refurbished products are eligible for monthly AppleCare+ plans. ‌AppleCare‌ One is also an option for refurbished devices, as long as the product you purchase isn't more than four years old.

New Releases

When a new Apple product is released, it does not become available for purchase from the refurbished store for several months. Most products are available after a three- to four-month wait, but refurbished versions of products with supply constraints may not be available for six to nine months after launch.

Customers who are planning to wait to purchase a refurbished version of a newly launched product should plan to delay their purchase for at least three months, or even longer for an iPhone. It often takes Apple more than a year to make refurbished versions of new iPhones available for purchase.

Shipping and In-Store Pickup

Refurbished products can be shipped directly to your home address or shipped to a local Apple Store for in-store pickup. Refurbished models generally aren't in stock for same-day pickup at a retail store because they come from a central warehouse, but shipping often takes just two or three days.

Country List

Apple Certified Refurbished Products are available in multiple countries, not just the United States. Here's a full list of the countries where Apple operates an online refurbished store:

Product availability varies by country, and in some locations, refurbished products include iPads and Macs, but not iPhones.

Refurbished iPhones

The iPhone is Apple's most popular product, so the company undoubtedly receives a huge number of faulty iPhones. While Apple offers iPhones on its refurbished website, the company also sometimes uses refurbished iPhones as under-warranty or out-of-warranty replacements for customers who run into issues with their devices.

There is nothing wrong with receiving a refurbished iPhone as a replacement for a retail device as these are inspected by Apple, but some customers prefer to know what kind of device they're receiving when getting an iPhone repaired or replaced.

The answer lies in the model number of the iPhone, which can be found by going to General --> About in the Settings app and checking the first letter of the model number.

M always denotes a new retail device, while N is used for iPhones that have been earmarked by Apple for replacements. These can be new devices or refurbished devices. Apple's use of "P" and "F" is less clear, but "N" and "M" appear to be regularly used based on our research of refurbished iPhones.

Buying Refurbished Products From Third-Party Resellers

Apple's online refurbished store is the only source for official refurbished products certified by Apple. No third-party retailers are permitted to sell machines that have been guaranteed by Apple's refurbishing process.

You may see other sites such as Amazon, Best Buy, Back Market, Walmart, Gazelle, Mac of All Trades, and others offering refurbished devices at low prices, but these do not come with the same warranty and have not been tested by Apple. Refurbished Macs purchased from third-party resellers sometimes have more limited warranties and are not eligible to receive one year of free support from Apple.

Refurbished machines from third-party sites might come at a much lower cost, but the savings may not be worth it should a major problem surface down the road. If purchasing from a third-party site, aim for a retailer that offers a 90-day or more warranty and a guaranteed inspection process.

Refurbished Exclusions

Refurbished products can't be ordered with engraving, and refurbished Macs cannot be customized. You only have the option of buying what's offered.

Bottom Line

If you plan on purchasing an Apple product and don't mind waiting until a few months after it's released, there's no reason to choose a new device over a refurbished device. With enough patience, you can find the exact model you're looking for, and the process goes even quicker if you have some flexibility on specs that could vary due to build-to-order upgrades.

By purchasing a refurbished product directly from Apple, you can save hundreds of dollars and get the same benefits you get with a brand new Apple product, including a guaranteed inspection process, a one-year warranty, and a 14-day return period.

You may save more cash purchasing a refurbished machine from a third-party retailer, but do so with caution because there's less protection if something goes wrong.