Looking for a way to save some money on the latest Apple products? Consider a refurbished MacBook, refurbished iPhone, or refurbished iPad from the Apple Certified Refurbished store. A refurbished product is just like a new, but at a lower price.
Here’s a quick guide with links to the best deals you can find on the refurb store, along with a FAQ guide if you want to know more about the ins and outs of the Apple Certified Refurbished store and buying a refurbished MacBook, desktop Mac, iPhone, or iPad. We make a recommendation of what to buy, but feel free to check out the store inventory to find the right model for you.
Editor’s note: Updated 7/29/22 to reflect the current inventory of the store.
Refurbished iPhone
As of this writing, the store has a very limited selection available.
Which iPhone should you buy? Apple has limited stock on a Refurbished iPhone 12 Pro 256GB – Graphite (Unlocked) for $849, which is $150 lower than a new version.
Other iPhones to consider:
Check out the iPhones on the Apple Certified Refurbished store.
Refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro
Apple’s stock ebbs and flows. Sometimes there are several current MacBook Pro models to choose from, while other times the selection is small. Some are standard configurations, while others are customized, built-to-order models.
At this writing, Apple has M1 models in stock. Most of the inventory is Intel-based models.
Which 13-inch MacBook Pro should you buy? Grab a Silver Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU, 8‑Core GPU, 256GB SSD and 8GB of memory for $1,099. That’s a $200 savings. The same model is also available in Space Gray for $1,099.
Other 13-inch MacBook Pro to consider:
Refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro
You’re in luck–Apple has these laptops in stock. However, you should check online retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy, because they often have deals on this laptop that offer $150 to $250 off the retail price.
Which 14-inch MacBook Pro should you buy? The Refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro Apple M1 Pro Chip with 10‑Core CPU and 16‑Core GPU in Space Gray is $2,249, which is $250 off the regular price. This laptop is also available in Silver for $2,249.
Other 14-inch MacBook Pro to consider:
Refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro
Apple has stock of the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but if you can’t find the model you want, keep an eye out for a new model for sale by retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy. You can often find the 16-inch MacBook Pro for $150 to $250 off the regular price.
Which 16-inch MacBook Pro should you buy? The Refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro Apple M1 Pro Chip with 10‑Core CPU and 16‑Core GPU in Silver is $2,249, which is $250 off the price of a new version. This laptop is also available in Space Gray for $2,249.
Other 16-inch MacBook Pro to consider:
Refurbished MacBook Air
Apple’s stock of the MacBook Air is filled with the M1 version of the laptop. It’s too soon for inventory of the M2 model.
Which MacBook Air should you buy? The Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 7‑Core GPU in Space Gray is $849, which is $150 lower than a new model. This laptop is also available in Gold for $849.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available MacBook Air models for sale.
Refurbished iPad
The refurb store can be a good place to save some money on an iPad, though you might actually find better deals on brand-new iPads from Best Buy and other non-Apple retailers. Much of the refurb stock is older iPads; some models are three, four, or five years old.
Which iPad should you buy? Apple has the 2019 Refurbished iPad Air Wi-Fi 64GB in Gold for $419. It’s also available in Silver. Keep in mind that this iPad Air is a couple of generations old now, but it is the cheapest iPad available.
Other iPads to consider:
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available iPad models for sale.
Refurbished Apple Watch
The refurb store has Series 7 models in stock at the time of this writing, but you might actually find better deals on brand-new Apple Watches from Amazon, Best Buy and other non-Apple retailers.
Which Apple Watch should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished Apple Watch Series 7 GPS, 41mm Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band for $339, which is a $60 savings. This model is also available with a Green Aluminum Case with Clover Sport Band.
If you prefer a 45mm model, Apple has the Refurbished Apple Watch Series 7 GPS + Cellular, 45mm Midnight Aluminum Case with Midnight Sport Band for $449, an $80 savings. At the same price, there’s also the 45mm Starlight Aluminum Case with Starlight Sport Band, the 45mm Blue Aluminum Case with Abyss Blue Sport Band, the 45mm Green Aluminum Case with Clover Sport Band, and the 45mm Starlight Aluminum Case with Pure Platinum/Black Nike Sport Band.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available Apple Watch models for sale.
Refurbished 21.5-inch iMac
As of this writing, Apple has a limited stock of refurbished 21.5-inch iMacs. Apple has discontinued this model, so the only way to get it is either through the Refurb store or through third-party retailers that sell new.
Which 21.5-inch iMac should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished 21.5-inch iMac 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 1920×1080 display for $929.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available 21.5-inch iMacs for sale.
24-inch M1 iMac
Willis Lai/IDG
Refurbished 24-inch iMac
As of this writing, Apple has a few models of the 24-inch iMac.
Which 24-inch iMac should you buy? Get the Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, Gigabit Ethernet, 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and 2 USB 3 ports in Blue, Green, or Silver for $1,269, which is $230 lower than a new model.
Other 24-inch iMacs to consider:
- Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, Gigabit Ethernet, 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and 2 USB 3 ports in Blue, Green, and Silver, for $1,439, which is $260 lower than a new model.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available 24-inch iMacs for sale.
Refurbished 27-inch iMac
Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac. You won’t find it in the Apple Store, but you might find new ones at third-party retailers. There’s a wide variety of 2020 and 2019 models to choose from in the Refurb store, and Apple has priced them to clear out its inventory.
Which 27-inch iMac should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 5K display, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD for $1,779.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available 27-inch iMacs for sale.
Refurbished Mac Studio
Apple
Apple has the base model Mac Studio: Refurbished Mac Studio Apple M1 Max Chip with 10‑Core CPU and 24‑Core GPU, 32GB unified memory, 512GB SSD for $1,799, which is $200 off the price of a new version.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available Mac Studios for sale.
Refurbished Mac mini
As of this writing, Apple has very limited stock of the M1 Mac mini.
Which Mac mini should you buy? Refurbished Mac mini Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU for $589, which is $110 off the price of it as new.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available Mac minis for sale.
Refurbished iMac Pro
Apple discontinued the iMac Pro so you can’t buy it new. But Apple now has several different models in stock in refurbs.
Which iMac Pro should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished 27-inch iMac Pro 3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W with Retina 5K display for $3,249, which is $1,250 less than the price when it was new.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available iMac Pros for sale.
Refurbished Mac Pro
The Mac Pro is a pricey machine, so going with a refurb is a way to save some cash.
Which Mac Pro should you buy? For a brand new Mac Pro, Apple doesn’t offer standard configurations; it’s a machine you customize to your preferences. Since a refurbished Mac is a machine that a customer returned, all the Mac Pros in Apple’s refurbished inventory are ones that a customer designed. You can’t customize a refurb, so you basically have to pick what’s on the shelf. If you really want a refurb Mac Pro, you may have to settle for a model that doesn’t quite fit the specifications you want.
That being said, big savings could be had. We’ve seen models for sale that were over $1,000 cheaper than a brand new model. If you are planning to spend big bucks, it’s at least worth a few minutes checking out the inventory.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available Mac Pros for sale.
Refurbished Apple TV
Apple has the Refurbished Apple TV 4K 32GB (2nd Generation) for $149, which is $30 off the regular price.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available Apple TVs for sale.
Refurbished HomePod
As of this writing, Apple does not have any refurbished models in stock.
Apple Certified Refurbished store FAQ
What’s the difference between the Apple Certified Refurbished store and the Apple store?
The Apple Certified Refurbished store sells gently-used products that have been returned to the company. Apple repairs and tests these products to make sure they are in like-new condition. The Apple store, however, sells only new products that have never been opened and used.
Strangely, finding the Apple Certified Refurbished store isn’t obvious. On Apple.com, scroll to the very bottom of the page, where you’ll find a site directory. Under Apple Store, you’ll find a link for Refurbished and Clearance. (This link takes you there.)
What does “Certified Refurbished” mean?
The items in the Apple Certified Refurbished store are products that have been purchased and returned by other customers. Apple puts these products through what they call a “stringent refurbishment process” before they are put on the virtual shelves.
Apple says that each product is thoroughly tested and any problematic hardware components are replaced. The exception is with the Apple Watch and Apple Pencil: If these items need new parts, they aren’t put up for sale.
Each product goes through a quality assurance inspection, and is also cleaned, inspected, and repackaged with complete documentation, cables, and anything else that usually ships with that device. These products are essentially like new.
What kind of warranty comes with an Apple Certified Refurbished product?
Apple includes a standard one-year limited warranty. Learn more about Apple’s hardware warranties.
Is AppleCare available for Apple Certified Refurbished products?
AppleCare is available. For an additional fee, you can get two or three years of coverage and support. Read our guide to AppleCare for more information.
What products are available?
Since these are refurbished products, inventory for this store relies on what’s returned to Apple. Because of this, it’s quite possible the store won’t have the model that you want. Apple may not have a certain model of a product one day, and the next day they might all of a sudden have a limited stock run available, unannounced. Then, once that batch sells out, it will once again become unavailable until Apple builds up stock again.
The Apple Certified Refurbished store carries all of the company’s major product lines: Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, HomePods, iPods, and Apple TVs. There’s also a Refurbished Accessories section.
When shopping at this store, keep an eye on the product’s release dates, which are listed in each product description. Apple often sells older models. You can find refurbished models of the current product line, but these items tend to sell quickly, so act fast.
