Are Apple Refurbished Products Good | Should You A Refurbished Apple Product
by Chelsea Bruhl on Jul 16, 2024
Planning to buy a second had Apple product? And wondering are Apple refurbished products good? Read on to find out what to consider when buying refurbished Apple products like MacBook, iPhones, iPads, and so on.
When it comes to buying refurbished electronics, most people usually think twice before they buy such a device. This is because the current market for pre used products, especially Apple products was until now only available from the unorganized sector.
Apple changed all that when they themselves started selling refurbished Apple products. Thanks to their strict quality control you know you will be getting a good device even if you go for a refurbished one from Apple.
Part of the refurbishing process involves that product going through a series of thorough checks, which includes complete testing of all parts and functions of the device and making sure that the product functions like a new one. According to Apple, your refurbished device is “like new” and comes with savings.
All refurbished “like new” devices from Apple come with genuine Apple replacement spares if any were needed. It will be cleaned and checked completely. All products that are refurbished by Apple come with a new battery and outer casing as well, a definite plus.
Apart from that, refurbished products come with all accessories like cables and operating systems included in the bundle and come with free shipping.
Apple also backs up their guarantee of a proper functioning device by providing customers with a one year warranty on all Apple Certified refurbished products, you even have the option of getting additional coverage by investing in Apple Care.
Are Apple Refurbished Products Good
If you're ready to wait a bit for your Apple Certified refurbished device, there is really no negative reason to buy a refurbished product from Apple.
The work done on the device is excellent to say the least and you also end up saving quite a bit when compared to going in for a new device.
While it should be mentioned that you can get refurbished or pre owned Apple devices from the numerous third party retailers available, none of them can match the refurbishment process that Apple puts devices through, not to mention the new battery and casing, which you will most likely never get from any third party sellers.
In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of buying refurbished products, the time involved in getting your device and many other details like warranty and availability information.
So to understand more about buying refurbished Apple products continue reading.
What Are Apple Refurbished Products
All manufactured electronic devices are sometimes not perfect, even those made by Apple. Some products may turn out to have faulty components that start to give you problems soon after you buy and use them.
These products if they are still covered by their warranty can be returned in exchange for a replacement device. Such returns are products that get refurbished.
This involves repairing and replacing faulty parts, full service and in Apple’s case a battery and casing replacement as well. Apple now does this for many of its products like iPhones, Macbooks and iPads.
Apple apart from devices that were returned within warranty also receives many products that are unwanted by their users or products that were received through the Apple trade-in program.
All of these products do not get refurbished to be sold, only viable ones do. Most of them with more serious defects will go to recycling centres. Due to this screening process, you can be sure that the product you are buying did not have any big issues like a damaged motherboard or so.
Most problems are with the screens, batteries or hard drives.
Products that do make it through the whole refurbishment process are returned to “Like New” as Apple puts it. These products are then listed on Apple’s online website for sale at a discounted price. It should be noted that Apple Certified refurbished devices are available only online and not in-store or with third party retailers.
Although you can get refurbished Apple products from many other third party sellers, the Apple refurbishment process is by far the best and we will explain why in this article.
The Apple Testing And Refurbishing Process
According to information provided by Apple themselves, Apple details the entire process which we will explain below. Apple also mentions that its refurbished devices are put through the same rigorous testing as it does for its new products. This ensures that customers will always get good quality products from Apple.
This process makes buying an Apple Certified Refurbished product the safest option when compared to other resellers that could even be offering better prices.
- First, Apple will run primary tests on every component of the product to see if everything is running fine. Some of these include screen checks, speaker tests and charging port tests.
- If Apple finds any parts to be defective, they are replaced with properly working ones. For example, a screen that has been cracked or has dead pixels will be switched out by Apple for a properly functioning one.
- Apple technicians also clean the insides of the device thoroughly when they open them for testing and inspection.
- All iPods, iPads and iPhones get their casings fully replaced with new ones by Apple. The batteries of these products also get replaced with new ones during the refurbishment process. This guarantees you get a product completely free from scratches and physical damage. No battery power or charging issues will occur either.
- Next, the device will receive an operating system software update to bring it up to date with the latest version.
- Before being certified, all Apple products that have been refurbished will be checked one more time by technicians to provide the quality assurance expected from Apple. Only then will they be ready for public sale.
- After this is done, the refurbished devices get packed into new plain white boxes with just the product name on the front, along with their accessories like charger cables and manual.
- All refurbished products that are Apple certified will get a new Serial number as well.
This strict process of inspection and testing is done by Apple to ensure quality, not to mention the one year warranty they give as well, making buying Apple Certified refurbished products the better and safer to buy option, compared to buying a refurbished Apple product from other third party sellers.
Checking Out An Apple Certified Refurbished Product
The Box
The first and most noticeable thing when you receive your refurbished device from Apple is the box. All Apple Certified products come repacked in a pure white customized box with the product name across the center of the front and also “Apple Certified Refurbished” printed at the bottom on the front as well.
An example of an Apple Certified Refurbished iPad Mini Box is given below.
The quality of the box Apple refurbished products come in assures you of the quality of the product inside as well. These boxes are plain when compared to the new regular retail boxes of the same product, those will have a lot more imagery and glam on it.
All the cables you need along with the accessories of the product you will find inside the box of an Apple Certified Refurbished device just like you would when buying a new product from Apple.
The Device
To make all Apple Refurbished products look as good as they can be, Apple changes the casing completely on all refurbished products so what we have got looks completely new from the outside. They are cleaned on the inside as well during the testing phase.
The Performance
Even if you buy an Apple Certified Refurbished product it is expected to perform as a new one does, this is assured by Apple themselves. And since Apple replaces the battery with a new one as well, you should not face any issues on that front. Apple replaces Macbook batteries as well, but only if they don't hold their charge anymore.
And since all components have been inspected thoroughly and defective ones replaced with new ones there is no drop in the performance of those parts.
Data and Software
When Apple takes in a device for refurbishing, they erase all old data from previous users and restore it to factory settings, therefore, resetting the software as well. Once reset the product will receive a software update to bring it to the current version of the OS. iPhones and iPads will get the newest iOS and Macbooks the newest macOS.
This ensures that Apple refurbished products work like new with no lag or glitches.
Warranty
The warranty that comes with refurbished Apple products is what makes purchasing from Apple better than other third parties. Some other third parties do offer warranties but a couple of months at the most, not as long as Apple does which is one year.
The service and support you will receive with your Apple refurbished product are the same as Apple offers to customers of brand new products as well.
This means that you will be entitled to a one year warranty along with 90 days of customer support over the phone. During this 365 day period, if a user faces any issues with the product, Apple will accept it in and conduct service or replacements free of charge like with new products.
To use the warranty if you need to, all you have to do is drop it at any Apple Store or Apple authorised service Center. You can even send it in through the mail.
AppleCare
AppleCare+ allows you to extend your warranty period for a charge, Apple offers this for refurbished devices too.
If you take the AppleCare policy you will be covered for two cases of accidental damage a year, this includes cracked screens, broken charging ports and even water damage. You will be charged only the service fee and nothing for the parts.
Currently Available Apple Refurbished Products And Prices
Below we will list some of the products available for sale right now in the Apple Refurbished section along with their prices and discounts.
If you are someone on a slightly lower budget but is still looking to buy an Apple device.
Apple Certified Refurbished products are for you. They come with all accessories, a new battery and also the same warranty and service new devices come with.
Therefore, if you are looking for good value you can find all Apple Certified Refurbished products on the Apple site.
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