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I need to buy a MacBook for iPhone development, but I have budget constraints also. I saw on Apple UK website that they are offering refurbished laptop(s).
So is it OK to buy a MacBook (refurbished) by Apple?
Here is one of the link of refurbished MacBook Pro.
They write on the refurb store:
We test and certify all Apple refurbished products and include a one-year warranty.
They are even eligible to the AppleCare program if you buy it up to 1 year after your purchase. So I don't see what problem you would face. It's a used device but verified, repackaged and certified by Apple.
Generally, Apple refurbs are indistinguishable from a new product aside from the packaging.
I've found http://refurb-tracker.com to be very helpful for tracking which refurb models are in stock and past pricing. Often stock is limited but it changes daily.
I'm on my 2nd Apple refurb (MBP) and couldn't see buying any other way in the future unless I needed a bleeding-edge model.
The savings should at least pay for AppleCare (buy it on sale at Amazon!)
A) I've never had a problem buying refurbs (> 20 for work)
B) You may find little bonuses when opening up your new toy. More RAM/HD/SSD than advertised, because Apple often don't remove these from working systems. In addition, but on shakier ground (both legally and from a configuration management perspective), you may also encounter software packages installed on your 'new' Mac. Don't count on it, but it has happened to me twice. I wiped the machines but enjoyed the 'bumped' specs.
I bought a refurb Mac Book Pro in 2008. I still have it. A few months ago I replaced the HD with an SSD. I use it with Lion for iphone development work. After the Apple Care ran out, it had a small problem: some of the display backlights occasionally fail to light. This is not a problem when using a large, external monitor. The problem can also be solved by a restart.
I once had a job that gave me a refurb Mac Book Pro. Worked great and I really liked it. Never was I 'reminded' that it was a refurb due to any problems or differences. It was actually a few months until I even realized, and I had to be told. I'd definitely recommend the refurb purchase.
Great machine, I was sorry to give it up when I left.
I'm a big fan of Apple refurbs and always recommend it unless you want something that's a brand new model
Bought a 2016 refurb MBP, in 2016. About $500 off (CAD).
Ended up returning it - it had occasional instant reboots, like when I would plug in an external monitor. Not many, say 2-3 over a 2 week period, but I was concerned I was getting some kinda unusual lemon - after all someone did return it. Also some glitchy keyboard but that might have dust and the notorious butterfly keyboards.
A Genius hardware test didn’t show anything.
So, I called up Apple to return it (as if it was new, 2 week period). No questions asked whatsoever, no pressure, and they gave me 2 weeks to ship it back. So I had it for 4 weeks. Full refund, not an exchange.
It can also be worth it, depending on model and features, to buy used. Right now, I have a 13 day wait for a new 32GB ram MBP 2019 in Vancouver. Or I can get a refurb (again around $500 CAD off) refurb in 5 days. Same thing in 2016 — I wanted a 512 SSD which had 10 day delivery wait when new (Apple Canada used to only stock 256 SSDs).
Bottom line: it saves you some (not a lot on current models) money, but it’s not totally foolproof - I got a glitchy machine. On the other hand, Apple’s return policies are sufficiently lenient that it’s not risky at all.
It is completely fine to buy any refurbished apple device. Apple makes sure they fix everything about a returned device before it sells it as a "refurbished" product. As a matter of fact, my iPhone 8 is a refurbished product and it runs PERFECTLY (been 3 years). I can almost guarantee 100% that, that's the case with all apple devices. They're priced slightly low because they've still technically been used before, but that's not to mention that it'll still run like a brand new machine. Go save your bucks bud!
