All You Need to Know About Buying Apple Refurbished Products

Are refurbished Apple products worth it? Get to know more about them before making a purchase.

Buying refurbished electronic devices may sound like wasting money on the buggy, damaged, or broken items. But that is not true with Apple products! Apple guarantees that their refurbished products are as good as new. This is among the many reasons that Apple customers are almost always satisfied.

Since Apple is a top-tiered premium brand, it has premium prices for its devices too. Because of this, most people cannot afford their products. If your budget is tight and you still want to enjoy the luxurious functions of Apple devices, then their refurbished products may be right for you.

Many buyers have questions and apprehension about buying refurbished products. Therefore, I am going to help you with all of the information you need to make a decision to buy Apple refurbished products.

Difference between Refurbished Products and Open-box Products

There is a common misconception among people that refurbished and open-box products are the same. Let me clear up this confusion first. A refurbished product is returned because there was some potential defect in it. After getting the product, the retailer does large-scale testing on the product’s defect, fixes it, and makes it suitable for reselling. Being the manufacturer, Apple tests its products with the utmost care.  

Open-box products are returned by the customer because they did not like it or have changed their mind. With open-box items, the testing is not as extensive or formal; it is just rough testing to make sure there is no defect. Apple does not specifically sell open-box products, but they tag their open-box items as refurbished as they were previously owned, even it was just for a short time.  

Apple’s Refurbished Products

You can find lots of refurb items on Apple’s list, from Macs, iPhones, and iPads to Apple TVs, watches, and even accessories. The refurbished products include custom-built items along with Apple’s in-stock products. Let us have a look at the Apple refurb items you can get.

iPhones:

• iPhone 8 and 8+

• iPhone X

• iPhone X and XS Max

iPad:

• iPad

• iPad- pro, mini & air

Mac:

• MacBook – Pro, Air

• iMac

• iMac Pro

• Mac – mini, pro

Watch:

• Apple watch series- 3,4,5

Accessories:

• Airport

• Apple TV

• HomePod

• iPod Touch

If you are wondering where to buy a Refurbished Macbook, iPhone, or TV, these are available in Apple’s online store.

Pricing of Refurbished Products

The pricing is what makes Apple refurb products a hot deal. While buying refurbished items, you are saving 14-80 percent compared to brand-new products. The discounts given on refurbished items are much lower than a new Apple product’s sale price on different sites.

According to Apple, the average discount given on its refurbished MacBooks and TVs range from 14-15 percent, and the refurbished iPhones’ discount range is 14-17 percent. Older models of any device get more discounted compared to newer ones.

What Makes Apple Refurbished Products Different?

As mentioned earlier, Apple undergoes extensive testing on its refurbished products which makes them ‘as good as new.’ And of course, their testing method and rules are the same for every product. On Apple’s authentic website, you will get detailed information on their refurbished product testing process. This process is what makes Apple’s refurb items stand out more than products refurbished by other third-party retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, etc.  

To save you time, I have explained Apple’s exact testing process below:

• When the product first reaches them, Apple looks for any exterior and interior defect. This includes sound testing, wireless connection testing, display, battery power, and much more.

• If any defect is found, it is fixed or replaced with a new part.

• The employees carry on more testing after the damage is fixed to make sure everything is top-notch.

• The device then gets an update to the latest version of app software.

• The device is cosmetically cleaned to make it look brand-new before packaging. The packaging of refurbished items is done in a plain white box and it includes all the required accessories for the device too!

• Each package is denoted with serial numbers.

• Finally, the last thorough quality assurance is done before selling the product again to the customers.

Features of Apple Refurbished Products

Apple refurbished products come at a much discounted price. But just because you are paying a lesser price does not mean you have to compromise on the basic features.

• Functionality: Apple refurbished products work 100 percent like brand-new devices. All the components will function exactly like a new one; from the battery of the iPhone to the watch’s charger watch, every component is fully functional. You are not buying a completely used product with Apple, because they will replace every damaged or defective part.

• Cosmetic Condition: This refers to the appearance of the device. Apple-certified refurbished items are made to appear in perfect condition. You won’t even realize that it was used by someone else. The screen and body both sparkle without any scuffs and nicks. This means you won’t have to spend extra fixing the device’s cosmetic appearance.

Apple also does an intense cleaning to their refurb products to make them look dust-free, spotless, and shiny. All the internal areas of the hardware are sanitized, and the screen is polished.

• Warranty: People do not like to spend their money on devices without a warranty. Apple keeps that in mind by providing warranties with their refurbished items. One should refrain from buying from retailers who do not provide warranties on refurbished electronic devices. Apple offers the exact warranty and customer support that you get from buying a new device. However, for every device, the warranty period is limited compared to a similar new device.

• Packaging: Packaging is probably where Apple cuts its cost to provide you the product at a lower price. They sell their refurb items inside plain white boxes with ‘Apple Certified Refurbished’ written on them. Inside the box, you will get every accessory that you need for the device.

• Availability: Apple users hardly ever return their products without any valid reason. Most of the time, they get any damage to their device repaired. Therefore, availability depends highly on this factor. However, the older models have more availability than newer models in Apple’s product store.

Apple sells its refurbished products exclusively online. Therefore, don’t forget to check the Apple store to get more information.  

• Previous User Data: When Apple refurbishes its product, its primary concern is to remove all data from the device’s hardware. This not only protects the previous user’s privacy but can also protect the new user from bugs. Whether it’s the iPhone, iPad, or Mac, all of their hard drives will be refreshed for the new user to use.

• Re-installed operating system: When the hard drive of Apple’s device is refreshed as a step of refurbishment, the operating system is re-installed as well. You will have a fresh iOS for your device. Here, you can set up your newly bought refurbished Apple device or restore the data from your previous Apple device.

How to Distinguish a Refurbished Product from a Brand-New Product Online

It is a rule for Apple refurbished items to have a model number starting with ‘F,’ which makes it easier for customers to differentiate the refurb products. 

Buying Refurbished Apple Products Like a Pro

To help you buy an Apple refurb product like a pro, I am going to give you some basic tips.

While buying an Apple-certified refurb product, make sure to cross-check its price with new models at other retailers. Apple-certified refurb products will have a hefty discount on the new price. Once you have compared and checked the prices of your desired product, try to buy the product as soon as possible. They sell out too quickly and take weeks or months to restock.  

Failure Rate of Refurbished Products

An Apple-certified refurbished product probably has a much lower system failure rate than a brand-new one because it has gone through double standard quality testing before selling. This is just an estimation because there is no research done or solid data present based on the failure rate of refurb items compared to new items. However, if the cell phone falls or hits something, that’s a different case. No matter what happens, though, you are always covered with Apple’s exclusive warranties and customer support.

Final Thought

By now, you should be ready to stop contemplating and take action to buy an Apple-certified refurbished product. These items are a dream come true for people who are tight on budget and still want to own an Apple device. If you are one of them, I hope my blog has helped you to understand that Apple refurb items are not like any other.

Apple does every possible thing to make the condition of their refurb products like a brand-new model and offers them at discounted prices. What gets the deal even better is the warranty and support one gets even for a refurb product. So, visit the Apple store online, and get your desired device before it sells out!