Are refurbished iPads noticeably different?

Assuming you are buying refurbished directly from Apple, yes. They are cosmetically new and carry the same warranty as new.

Some think they are better than buying new because they are checked more thoroughly than a new retail unit. I have never had problems from a refurb unit.

Refurbished means any defects they were brought back with have been completely replaced. They can't sell it as new however, hence refurbish. There is nothing cosmetically wrong with them.

I've bought 3 and they had less light bleed and were cleaner then the 2 new iPads I bought.

I've had a string of defective iPhone 4s's and recently got help through Apple corporate in an exchange. I asked if they would be able to tell me what caused the problem with my old phone once they got it back and the rep explained what they do with defective items. Apparently they disassemble them and test each part to see which ones are defective and which ones can be reused. They assemble new units from these good parts to offer as refurb and replacement units (for exchange at the Apple store). Essentially you're getting a unit that is like new, but assembled more or less in the states.

Apple refurbished products are considered by most to be a very good deal, as they're pretty much like buying a new Mac, except for the box.

• Apple Certified Refurbished Products are available online from the Apple Refurb Store and are not sold in local Apple stores
• Educational discounts do not apply to refurb products.
• Refurb products come with the same warranty as new products, and qualify for AppleCare
• Refurb products have a changed serial number that identifies them as refurbished
• Refurb products come with whatever OS version and software they originally shipped with as new
• Refurb products come with the same items in the box as new products, only the box is a plain one, not the new box.
• A refurb product could have some cosmetic signs of prior use, but rarely do
• A refurb Mac may have some cycles on the battery, but not a significant enough amount to affect usable life
• The refurb store inventory changes frequently, sometimes several times a day, and doesn't have any direct relation to upcoming product releases. What's available in the refurb store is determined by what has been returned to Apple.
• If you're looking for a particular item, refurb.me can alert you when it becomes available.

Refurb = good as new

GGJstudios said:

Apple refurbished products are considered by most to be a very good deal, as they're pretty much like buying a new Mac, except for the box.

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And the boxes are far nicer; pure white without any graphics or text. I was disappointed with my non refurb Airport Express box on Monday.

I am a refurb fan too. You can't tell it is not a retail product.

Had one faulty purchase and Apple jumped through hoops to get me a new device in no time. Any issue and Apple replace it. Simple as that.

Buying refurb has its disadvantages.

1. you don't get to pay retail.

2. You can't be a twue apple fan boi, if you don't camp out and be the first for every product release. As a wannabe, every night before I go to sleep in my warm comfy bed, I pretend I'm waiting on line for it to hit the refurb store. Which could be months longer than actually waiting at a store. So, in that sense I made my sacrifice, and Steve Jobs is looking down or up at me proudly.

Also, Apple will have ironed out the bugs, you'll have a more stable product, and a viable jailbreak. Maybe Google maps will be restored, by the time iPhone 5 hits the refurb store.

I've ordered an iMac, 2 Airs and an Airport Extreme though-out the years. All have looked new and never any problem. Just the box is different.

I've bought a number of refurbs from Apple and would not hesitate to do so again. Like everyone else has said, as good as new. This isn't like buying "open box" from Best Buy.

The only difference is the packaging, and possibly the unit has been relabelled with a refurb part number. That might impact resale value if you decide to sell it. Might.

I'd go for it.

luthier42 said:

Essentially you're getting a unit that is like new, but assembled more or less in the states.

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This is not always true. Every refurbed iPad I've purchased was shipped to me directly from China. The last refurbed iPad I purchased was in July.

I purchased a 64GB refurb iPad3 from Apple Store about a month ago. It shipped from China and was cosmetically perfect. However it had a 3.5 inch light leak on the top edge of screen under bezel. Walked into my local Apple store and they replaced it with an in-stock refurb.

So refurbs are not necessarily "thoroughly checked."