By - Apple is offering refurbished MacBook Pro and Mac mini M4 devices
- The Macs are on its online store in the US, Canada, UK, and some other European countries
- Discounts of up to 15% can be had, while still benefiting from a one-year warranty and optionally AppleCare
If you’ve been mulling a purchase of a MacBook Pro or Mac mini with the latest M4 chip inside, but hoping to benefit from a somewhat more affordable price tag than new, you’ll doubtless be interested to learn that Apple is now selling these devices refurbished.
MacRumors noticed that Apple is offering these Macs that pack an M4 SoC on its web store in the US, Canada, and the UK (and also some other European countries).
Those who are tempted to go this route can get asking prices which are (up to) 15% less compared to a brand-new MacBook Pro or Mac mini M4.
To pick an example at the cheaper end of the scale, at the time of writing, on Apple’s US store there’s a refurbished Mac mini M4 with 10-core CPU (plus 10-core GPU) that normally sells for $599, but has been knocked down to $509 – which represents bang-on a 15% discount.
Analysis: Money-saving but with more peace of mind
The example given there is a whole lot of computer (in a deliciously small form factor) for barely over $500. Of course, the drawback here is that these machines aren’t quite new, but they are as close as you’re going to get.
And while buying refurbished hardware might feel like something of a risk compared to a completely new device, you don’t get much more peace of mind than purchasing a Mac refurb directly from Apple. (Plus brand-new devices can go wrong, too).
Apple gives buyers a full year’s warranty on a refurbished device, and you’re free to pick up AppleCare to give the Mac further protection, should you wish. The company tells us that: “Refurbished devices are cleaned, inspected and tested, and come with genuine Apple replacement parts as needed.”
Apple’s M4 Macs only debuted at the end of October 2024, so discounts on them have been rather limited thus far, as you might expect. A refurb from Apple could be a tempting option for the reasons just outlined, although for the more patient, there’s always Black Friday later this year. Yes, it’s still a long way off, but on the other hand, the speed the months roll by these days, it’ll likely be looming before you know it.
Presumably, more M4 Macs will be available as refurbs directly from Apple before too long.
