- Apple’s Certified Refurbished Store is one of the company’s best-kept secrets.
- You can find nice discounts on older and current-generation devices, including Macs and iPhones.
- We’ve rounded up the best deals you can get right now on Apple’s Refurbished Store.
Apple has a web store that’s hard to find on its main website called the “Certified Refurbished Store.”
It’s a place where Apple sells most of its devices for a nice little discount. And not all of them are older models. Some refurbished devices are current-generation.
I was amazed by the quality of my refurbished 2016 MacBook Pro that I bought in 2017. It was flawless and showed no signs that it had already been used. In my mind, my refurbished MacBook Pro came from Apple, not the previous owner.
I personally haven’t bought other refurbished products from Apple yet, but if they’re anything like my refurbished MacBook Pro, they’re absolutely worth considering if you’re not trying to spend what Apple asks for brand-new devices.
Apple's refurbished devices come with the same one-year warranty as if you bought a brand-new model, and all the original accessories that come with new models are also included with refurbished units.
Below, you'll find that I've listed the cheapest refurbished options for each device, but you'll also find more options that potentially have the specs you want in Apple's refurbished store.
Check out the best refurbished devices you can buy from Apple's Refurbished Mac Store:
The iPhone 7
Apple is still selling brand-new models of the iPhone 7 with 32GB of storage for $450, which is actually less than the $470 price tag of refurbished iPhone 7 units on Apple's Refurbished iPhone store.
With that said, the refurbished units come with 128GB of storage for $470. Brand new, a 128GB iPhone 7 goes for $550. So you're saving $80 if you were eyeing the 128GB storage option. If you don't think you need that much storage, you might go for the cheaper and brand new 32GB iPhone 7, but keep in mind that 32GB these days isn't very much storage.
The iPhone 7 Plus
Brand-new 32GB models of the iPhone 7 Plus are going for the same $570 price tag as refurbished models, but you're also getting much more storage - 128 GB - with the refurbished units.
There are also refurbished 32GB iPhone 7 Plus models available for $470 - $100 cheaper than buying brand new.
The iPhone 8
At the time of writing, you can get a refurbished iPhone 8 with 256GB of storage for $630 compared to the $750 price of a brand new 256GB iPhone 8. That's a $120 discount if you go with the refurbished model.
The base iPhone 8 with 64GB of storage costs $600, which is only $30 less than the 256GB refurbished model.
The iPhone 8 Plus
So far, the only refurbished iPhone 8 Plus models available are the 256GB storage options that go for $730. To compare, a brand new 256GB iPhone 8 Plus goes for $850, which makes for a $120 discount.
The base iPhone 8 Plus model with 64GB of storage goes for $700, which is only $30 less than the refurbished 256GB model.
The iPhone X
You can snag a refurbished iPhone X with 64GB of storage for $770, which is a $130 off the $900 price at carrier stores.
Apple doesn't sell the iPhone X new anymore, but its refurbished store is one of the best places to get an iPhone X for less than the full retail price.
The 2018 MacBook Air
Brand new, Apple's 2018 MacBook Air starts at $1,200.
You can get a refurbished 2018 MacBook Air for $180 cheaper at $1,090.
The 2018 Mac Mini
Brand new, Apple sells the 2018 Mac Mini at a starting price of $800 with an 8th-generation Core i3 chip, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.
Refurbished models so far are only available for the Intel Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. Brand new, the Core i5 2018 Mac Mini starts at $1,100. Refurbished, it goes for $930.
The 2017 and 2018 13-inch MacBook Pro
The best deal in refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pros is the 2018 models, which come with Intel's 8th-generation of quad-core Core i5 chips. The 2017 models are good, too, but they come with Intel's 7th-generation of chips that top out at two cores. For the best longevity and performance, you're going to be better off with the 2018 models.
Brand new, the 2018 2.3GHz Core i5 model with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage goes for $1,800. Refurbished, the same model with the same specs goes for $1,530 for $270 off.
Apple still sells brand-new 2017 13-inch MacBook Pros with the 7th-generation 2.3GHz Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB of storage for $1,300, but you can get exactly the same laptop with the same specs for $200 less - $1,100 - if you buy it refurbished.
You can get other models of refurbished 2017 and 2018 13-inch MacBook Pros with more storage or a more powerful processor, too. And while those models may cost more than the base models I mentioned above, the refurbished discount is higher.
The 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro
Like the 13-inch MacBook Pros, the best deals for the refurbished 15-inch MacBook Pros are the 2018 models with Intel's 8th-generation of chips.
Brand new, the 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro with a 2.2GHz Core i7, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage goes for $2,400, but you can get exactly the same model refurbished for $2,040, a $360 discount.
The refurbished options for the 2017 15-inch MacBook Pros aren't as appealing as of the time of writing. Refurbished 2017 15-inch MacBook Pros are more expensive than refurbished 2018 15-inch MacBook Pros, largely because they come with more storage (512GB).
If you want more storage at the cost of missing out on Intel's 8th-generation of quad-core chips, the cheapest refurbished 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro goes for $2,250. That's $110 more than the 2018 model with 256GB of storage.
The 2017 MacBook
The 2017 MacBook is the current generation of Apple's ultra-slim and light laptops that the company sells brand new starting at $1,300. You can get a refurbished 2017 MacBook starting at $1,100 for a nice $200 discount.
The better option would be the Intel Core i5 option for significantly better performance than the base model with the Intel Core m3 chip.
Brand new, the Core i5 2017 MacBook goes for $1,600.
Refurbished, the Core i5 2017 MacBook foes for $1,190 for a $410 discount.
The 2016 9.7-inch iPad Pro
Apple's refurbished 9.7-inch iPad Pros from 2016 start at $420, and still have enough power for casual and power users on a budget.
The 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pro
Starting at $470, Apple's refurbished 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pros are still a good option if you don't want to spring $800 or more on Apple's most recent iPad Pros.
The 2017 12.9-inch iPad Pro
The 2017 12.9-inch iPad Pro is going for $590 refurbished so far - a nice $410 discount from the $900 price tag on a brand-new model.
The iMac Pro
The iMac Pro starts at $5,000, but you can get it for $750 off by buying it refurbished for $4,250.
The iMac
Apple recently announced new iMacs in 2019 with updated specs, including Intel's 8th-generation chips.
Apple is selling refurbished 2017 iMacs, both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, for pretty decent $170 to $350 discounts.