Should I purchase a refurbished iPad?

Apple’s present pill line-up contains the iPad mini (sixth gen), iPad 10.2in (ninth gen), iPad Air (fifth gen) and M1 variations of the iPad Pros. With so many choices, the refurbished iPad market has expanded too.

But which is the easiest way to purchase an iPad: new, pre-owned, or refurbished? And what’s the distinction? In this text, we stroll you thru your choices and level you to a few of the greatest refurbished iPad offers round.

What does refurbished imply?

First of all, let’s make clear that refurbished or reconditioned Apple merchandise are pre-owned/second-hand gadgets. But they’re pre-owned iPads which were rigorously examined and repaired to work identical to new.

In distinction, shopping for an iPad that’s pre-owned however not refurbished–from eBay or GumTree, for instance–means you’re shopping for the system “as is,” with no post-purchase safety, which makes it barely riskier if you happen to don’t know the vendor. If the earlier proprietor has forgotten to dissociate their Apple ID from the system, it’s possible you’ll probably be locked out from the system. Apple’s customer support received’t give you the chance that can assist you unlock it with out the unique Apple ID particulars, due to their strict safety insurance policies.

To keep away from such troubles, shopping for refurbished is a pleasant midway home between new and second-hand.

If the system is manufacturing unit refurbished or licensed refurbished, as within the case if you happen to purchase an Apple-certified refurbished iPad, you may be assured the standard and reliability will match a brand new system. Yet you’ll make an honest saving. Prices are as much as 15% cheaper on the Refurbished Store in comparison with the usual Apple retailer.

Apple refurbished merchandise bear a rigorous cleansing, testing, and repairs course of. Parts that don’t work or are broken are changed in order that the ultimate product works identical to new.

Some of the pre-owned iPads on the Apple Refurbished Store could have been used solely as soon as. Perhaps it’s a unit that was loaned to a journalist, or it was returned promptly by a buyer who determined they wished a special mannequin, or possibly there was a minor fault with it, however Apple has now rectified this as a part of the refurbishment course of.

Best refurbished iPad offers

Apple 11-inch iPad Pro (M1, 2021, 128GB)

1

From: Amazon US

Was: $799

Now:
$679
($120 off)

Amazon has a helpful $120 off the newest M1 iPad Pro. It’s backed by Amazon’s 90-day assure. Also give Back Market a glance: it might be even cheaper.

Apple iPad mini (2021, 64GB)

2

From: Decluttr

Was: $499

Now:
$434.99
($64.01 off)

Apple iPad mini (2019, 256GB) Wi-Fi + Cellular – Refurbished

3

From: Amazon

Was: £499

Now:
£363.38
(£135.62 off)

The fifth-gen iPad mini has been outdated by a more recent mannequin, however this low cost on an Amazon Renewed mannequin might make it extra interesting.

Apple iPad 10.2in (32GB, 2020, Refurbished) Wi-Fi + Cellular

4

From: MusicMagpie

Was: £459

Now:
£331.99
(£127.01 off)

MusicMagpie has £127 off the 2020 iPad (eighth gen) with mobile connectivity in ‘Pristine’ situation.

Apple iPad Air 4 (64GB, 2020) Wi-Fi Only – Refurbished “Very Good”

5

From: Music Magpie

Was: £579

Now:
£439.99
(£139.01 off)

Music Magpie has £139 off a refurbished iPad Air 4 (2020) in “Very Good” situation. It features a free 12-month guarantee for peace of thoughts and free supply too.

Apple iPad Pro 11 (Wi-Fi + Cellular, 512GB) – Refurbished

6

From: Apple Refurbished Store

Was: £1,119

Now:
£859
(£260 off)

Pick up the final era iPad Pro 11 with 4G and 512GB storage instantly from Apple however with £260 off the RRP. Delivery is free.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in (Wi-Fi, 512GB) – Refurbished

7

From: Apple Refurbished Store

Was: £1,169

Now:
£849
(£320 off)

You may also save an unbelievable £320 on the 12.9in iPad Pro (2018) from the Apple Refurbished Store!

What’s the distinction between a refurbished iPad vs a brand-new iPad?

If you purchase a refurbished iPad from Apple, you’ll get the identical one-year guarantee as if you happen to purchased a brand-new iPad, the entire manuals and equipment that include a brand new iPad, a model new battery and outer shell and a brand new white field for it too.

The new field shouldn’t be the identical because the field you’ll get if you happen to bought a brand new iPad, and we assume that is to forestall folks from shopping for a refurbished iPad and trying to promote it on as new. However, we predict you’ll battle to identify something totally different in regards to the contents of that field.

Apple guarantees that each one refurbished iPads it sells are in full working situation, and so they have every been totally examined to make sure this. Any elements that had been faulty when the iPad was returned by its earlier proprietor may have been changed, and the complete iPad may have been cleaned and inspected to verify it’s in top-notch situation.

If you’d choose to have an extended guarantee than the one-year model that’s included, you should purchase AppleCare+ on your refurbished iPad. AppleCare+ extends your guarantee to 2 years, and permits further technical assist, 24/7 entry to Apple consultants, and {hardware} protection for as much as two unintentional harm incidents. Each harm declare will price a further $49/£39, although.

What iPad fashions can I purchase from Apple’s Refurbished retailer?

The merchandise in Apple’s Refurbished Store can change fairly regularly, so that you’ll wish to test again usually if the actual product you’re after isn’t out there. Stock could range relying on whether or not you’re shopping for from the US or the UK, too.

At the time of writing, we will see the next gives on the US Refurbished Store. Note that these are all previous-generation fashions.

While the next bargains may be discovered on the UK Refurbished Store:

Should I purchase a refurbished iPad?

We assume it’s completely price contemplating shopping for a refurbished iPad. Even if you happen to don’t purchase it instantly from Apple, there are many different retailers providing refurbished iPads which can be price testing. If you’re pleased with an older era of iPad, it’s possible you’ll discover you may get a much bigger capability mannequin or a Wi-Fi + Cellular mannequin for much less cash.

There are only a few issues to bear in mind earlier than you hit buy, particularly if you happen to do go for a third-party reseller.

First off, have a look at the refurbished grade. Often you’ll see this famous as Grade A, Grade B, or Grade C. As you’ve guessed, this correlates with the situation of the system. It’s not a precise science, as every retailer may have its personal requirements for every grade, however it typically signifies what to anticipate (particularly if you happen to’re shopping for on-line).

Grade A refurbished gadgets ought to look identical to new or have very, very faint indicators of use. Meanwhile, Grade B gadgets could have minor scratches or put on, whereas Grade C gadgets will present apparent indicators of wear and tear.

Second, make sure the refurbished iPad comes with a guarantee. This shouldn’t be too troublesome as most resellers will supply protection for a minimum of one 12 months. A guaranty permits you to get repairs and different technical assist ought to the system have any points.

Pros and cons of shopping for a refurbished iPad

Pros

• Significantly cheaper than shopping for new
• Includes after buy guarantee providers (vs merely shopping for second-hand)
• Some retailers, together with Decluttr within the US and Music Magpie and Handtec within the UK, supply money-back returns inside 14 days

Cons

• Refurbish high quality can range from retailer to retailer
• Might be troublesome to get further tech assist after the guarantee expires
• Resale worth of a refurbished system received’t be very excessive if you wish to promote the iPad later

Best locations to purchase refurbished iPads

While the Apple Refurbished Store is a superb place to purchase a reconditioned iPad, it’s possible you’ll discover inventory is proscribed; and in some circumstances, different retailers supply newer fashions second-hand or refurbished at higher costs too. Here are just a few retailers price testing (in alphabetical order):

• Amazon: Amazon has a rigorous refurbishing course of (see Tech Advisor’s explainer) which ensures that gadgets look and work identical to new. Most importantly all gadgets from Amazon Renewed are backed with a 1-year assure, which implies you may get a refund or alternative inside a 12 months of receiving the iPad.
• Back Market: There are some massive reductions on right here. The web site says its mission is “to build trust and desire for renewed devices.”
• Best Buy: It’s essential to test the grade of pre-owned iPads on Best Buy; some are licensed by the positioning’s Geek Squad subsidiary and others aren’t. You can decrease the value by buying and selling in your personal equipment.
• Decluttr: This is the US model of Music Magpie, a wonderful vacation spot for refurbished tech. Not solely does it usually have aggressive costs, you may also cut back costs additional by buying and selling in your outdated tech, books, CDs and different media.
• Mac Of All Trades: Despite the title, this web site has iPads too. And you possibly can promote used Apple merchandise to make a bit of cash.

UK readers ought to strive the next retailers:

• Amazon: As on the US web site, Amazon’s refurbished gadgets look and work like new and are backed with a 1-year assure.
• Music Magpie: A fantastic place to choose up refurbished tech, with aggressive costs and the choice to commerce in your outdated stuff.
• The iOutlet: The iOutlet is much like MusicMagpie: you possibly can commerce in your outdated devices akin to gaming consoles, telephones, tablets or watches to earn money in direction of different purchases. You could not discover absolutely the newest iPad fashions, however the iOutlet has an in depth vary of Apple merchandise and costs which can be just about on par with MusicMagpie.
• Envirofone: Envirofone additionally buys your outdated telephones and tech, together with broken gadgets. If you select to receives a commission in Envirofone credit referred to as “Envirocash“, you may get an additional 12% again to spend in direction of a refurbished system.
• 4Gadgets: 4Gadgets usually has gross sales on refurbished tech together with iPads. You received’t discover the 2020 fashions however you’ll find choices from 2018 and 2019 at aggressive costs.

We’d additionally recommend testing the next refurbished retailers:

Further studying

All being effectively, the recommendation above has helped you attain a call about the way to purchase your iPad. If you’re nonetheless unsure which mannequin to go for, check out our iPad shopping for information, in addition to our information to the perfect iPad offers.

We have a look at the method of promoting an iPad in much more element in a separate article: How to promote an iPad.