While Apple does offer certified refurbished M4 Mac and MacBook models at a discount, you can find better offers elsewhere.
Since mid-February, Apple has been offering refurbished M4 Mac models in its online store. The models, consisting of the 24-inch iMac and the MacBook Pro, offer consumers a way to get the newer releases at a slightly cheaper rate, while still being an officially certified by Apple product.
While you can expect to save a few hundred dollars by going through Apple’s refurbished store, it may not necessarily be the best way to save money on an almost-new Mac.
In some cases, you can find deals elsewhere that can beat those of Apple itself, in a few ways.
A good example is the base-spec 14-inch MacBook Pro with 16GB of Unified Memory and 512GB of storage. As a brand-new unit from Apple, that would cost you $1,599.
Apple’s Certified Refurbished version of the same model is $1,359, which is a $240 savings. That seems like a decent deal, and has gone through Apple’s refurbishment process, has a one-year limited warranty, and is eligible for AppleCare.
However, you can also get an open-box version from Best Buy, which is listed as in “good condition” for $1,314.99 at the time of going to press. That’s $44.01 cheaper than Apple’s refurbished pricing.
Numerous retailers offer refurbished or open-box options, which can work out to be at a lower price than Apple’s refurbished store.
New can still be inexpensive
If you’re still tempted by the hefty savings offered by Apple’s refurbished store, along with the security of Apple backing up its sales, you could go one better. You could save money on a brand-new unit.
Search hard enough online, or more easily check out the AppleInsider Price Guide once in a while, and you could find deals that are almost as cheap as Apple’s refurbished lines, but brand new.
That same 14-inch MacBook Pro above can be found in our Price Guide for $1,399, $200 off the retail price. That’s just $40 more than the Apple refurbished pricing, but for a brand new unit.
Another example is the 24-inch iMac with M4. The base model is at $1,099 on Apple’s refurbished store, saving $200 off the new retail price. But on Amazon and B&H Photo, you can get brand new units for $1,149, $50 more.
If you don’t need the power of M4, you can even find deals on earlier models. For example, closeout deals on B&H Photo are offering the M3 MacBook Pro at up to $1,200 off the list price, for units that are in new, factory-sealed condition.
Apple’s refurbished store offers decent deals on as-new hardware, certainly, but you can probably find something better just by shopping around.
