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 8/18/21 to reflect the current inventory of the store, which includes the 24-inch M1 iMac.
Refurbished 24-inch iMac
Apple now has stock of the M1 24-inch iMac. Don’t wait too long—the stock is in short supply and they’ll go fast.
24-inch M1 iMac
Willis Lai/IDG
Which 21.5-inch iMac should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, Gigabit Ethernet in Blue or Silver—this model has 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and two USB 3 ports. It’s priced at $1,269, which is $240 less than a new model.
Other 24-inch M1 iMac models to consider:
- Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU, 7‑Core GPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports in Blue, Green, Pink, or Silver for $1,099. This is the entry-level standard configuration that is regularly priced at $1,299.
- Refurbished 24-inch iMac Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU, 8‑Core GPU, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, Gigabit Ethernet, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, and two USB 3 ports in Blue or Silver for $1,439. This has the same specs as a new $1,699 standard configuration iMac.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available 24-inch iMacs for sale.
Refurbished iPhone
As of this writing, the store has a few iPhone 11 Pro models available.
Which iPhone should you buy? Grab a 512GB iPhone 11 Pro in Gold, Midnight Green, Silver, and Space Gray for $1,019, which is $180 lower than the regular price. Apple also has one 256GB iPhone 11 Pro model available Midnight Green, or Gold for $849, which is $150 lower than the regular price.
Other iPhones to consider
Refurbished iPhone 11 Pro Max 256GB (Unlocked) in Gold, Midnight Green, or Space Gray for $929, a saving of $170 from the regular price.
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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 are Intel-based models.
Which 13-inch MacBook Pro should you buy? Grab a Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU, 8‑Core GPU, 256GB SSD and 8GB of memory in Space Gray or Silver for $1,099. That’s a $200 savings.
Other 13-inch MacBook Pro to consider
Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU, 8‑Core GPU, 512SSD and 8GB of memory in Silver or Space Gray for $1,269.
Refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro
As of this writing, Apple’s inventory of the 16-inch MacBook Pro is filled with 2019 models. Apple did not update this laptop in 2020.
Which 16-inch MacBook Pro should you buy? The Refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro 2.3GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 with Retina display in Silver or Space Gray for $2,379 is a good deal, which is $420 lower than a brand new model. It comes with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 4GB AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics card.
Refurbished MacBook Air
Apple now has M1 MacBook Air models in the refurbished store as of this writing. Models with Intel processors are also available.
Which MacBook Air should you buy? The Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU, 8‑Core GPU, and 8GB of memory is available in Gold, Silver, or Space Gray for $1,059. That’s $190 lower than a new version.
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 might actually find better deals on brand-new iPads from Best Buy and other non-Apple retailers.
Which iPad should you buy? Apple is selling a 2019 Refurbished iPad Air Wi-Fi 256GB – Silver for $549, which is $100 lower than the original price. The current iPad Air model with Wi-Fi and 256GB SSD is $749, for comparison.
As of this writing, Apple now has only iPad Pros from 2020 in stock. Consider the Refurbished 12.9-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi 256GB in Silver or Space Gray for $829, which is $220 lower than the regular price.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available iPad models for sale.
Refurbished Apple Watch
The refurb store now has Series 6 watches. If you’ve been waiting, grab one now. The stock won’t last long.
Which Apple Watch should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished Apple Watch Series 6 GPS + Cellular, 40mm, Gold Stainless Steel Case with Cyprus Green Sport Band in 40mm for $599, which is $100 lower than the regular price.
Other Apple Watch models to consider:
- Refurbished Apple Watch Nike Series 6 GPS, 40mm Space Gray Aluminum Case with Anthracite/Black Nike Sport Band for $339.
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.
Which 21.5-inch iMac should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished 21.5-inch iMac 3.0GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 4K display, 8GB of memory and a 1TB Fusion drive for $1,269, which is $230 less than a new model.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available 21.5-inch iMacs for sale.
Refurbished 27-inch iMac
As of this writing, Apple’s stock of refurbished 27-inch iMacs has grown. There’s a wide variety of 2020 and 2019 models to choose from.
Which 27-inch iMac should you buy? Apple has a Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.1GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 5K display for $1,529, which is $270 less than a new model. This iMac has 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, and a 4GB Radeon Pro 5300 graphics card.
Other 27-inch iMacs to consider:
- Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.3GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 5K display, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, and a 4GB Radeon Pro 5300 graphics card for $1,699, ($300 less than the original price)
- Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.8GHz 8-core Intel Core i7 with Retina 5K display, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and an 8GB Radeon Pro 5500 XT graphics card for $1,949 ($350 less than the original price)
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available 27-inch iMacs for sale.
Refurbished Mac mini
Apple has a few M1 Mac mini models. Grab one before the sell out.
Which Mac mini should you buy? The M1 Mac mini is a very attractive investment. We like the Refurbished Mac mini Apple M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $589, which is $110 less than a new version.
- Refurbished M1 Mac mini with 8GB of memory and a 512GB SSD for $759, a $140 lower price than a new version
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 $3,819, a savings of $680.
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 see model for sale that were over $1,000 cheaper than a brand new model. However, at the time of this writing, the cheapest Mac Pro available is nearly $18K. The models currently available are out of reach for most consumers.
Go to the Apple Certified Refurbished store to see all of the available Mac Pros for sale.
Refurbished Apple TV
After going through periods of being unavailable, Apple has inventory of its Apple TV in stock. Keep in mind that these are older models and does not include the Apple TV 4K announced during the April Spring Loaded event. In fact, these models have the old Siri remote and the savings isn’t much, so consider buying a new model with the new remote—it’s worth it.
That being said, Apple is offering these models at the time of this writing:
- Refurbished Apple TV 4K (32GB) for $149
- Refurbished Apple TV 4K (64GB) for $169
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.
