On May 24th, 2013, Apple cut the price of their refurbished devices by as much as fifteen percent. Apple may have done this for two reasons. The first one is that Apple will be releasing a new generation of iPads and iPhones this year. That means that they have to clear their stocks of old generation refurbished models. The other reason refurbished prices may have dropped is because Apple is updating AppleCare to include in-store repairs. Apple may save up to $1 billion per year by replacing defective iDevice parts in-stores instead of replacing the entire device. If they start replacing devices in-store, then they are going to have a smaller supply of refurbished devices to sell. Which is good for them because they won’t have to worry about unsold refurbished devices sitting in their warehouses.
Photo by Yutaka Tsutano
Here are the recent price drops in refurbished iPads on the Apple Store:
4th Generation iPad
- 16 GB Wi-Fi: $419, down from $449 previously and $499 brand-new
- 32 GB Wi-Fi: $499, down from $549 previously and $599 brand-new
- 64 GB Wi-Fi: $579, down from $649 previously and $699 brand-new
- 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $529, down from $579 previously and $629 brand-new
- 32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $609, down from $679 previously and $729 brand-new
- 64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $689, down from $779 previously and $829 brand-new
iPad mini
- 16 GB Wi-Fi: $279, down from $299 previously and $329 brand-new
- 32 GB Wi-Fi: $359, down from $389 previously and $429 brand-new
- 64 GB Wi-Fi: $439, down from $489 previously and $529 brand-new
- 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $389, down from $429 previously and $459 brand-new
- 32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $469, down from $519 previously and $559 brand-new
- 64 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $549, down from $619 previously and $659 brand-new
Getting a refurbished iPad or iPad mini is pretty safe; especially considering that Apple is the one refurbishing them. They test refurbished devices for defects, replace their batteries and out shells, and also give them new AppleCare warranties.
If you’re interested in buying a refurbished device now, then it’s a pretty good time to do so. But just remember that we may see price drops again when the new iDevices are unveiled in a couple of months from now. If it’s worth waiting a bit longer, then you should probably do that instead. You might decide to buy the newest iDevice instead. If you don’t, then you can always buy the older models at newer discounted prices. Either way, it’s a win/win.