Apple Begins Selling Refurbished 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M3 Chip in Canada and Europe

[MacRumors]

Apple today added the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip to its certified refurbished store in Canada and select European countries, including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK, for the first time since the laptop debuted in October. Availability in the U.S. began earlier this month.

As usual for Apple's refurbished products, the refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro models are discounted by approximately 15% compared to the equivalent brand new models. A variety of configurations and color options are available.

Apple says it puts refurbished Macs through a "thorough cleaning process and inspection" to ensure they are fully functional and in good condition, and they are covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty and eligible for extended AppleCare+ coverage. The laptops are repackaged in a plain white box with all accessories and manuals.

In our view, Apple's refurbished Macs are virtually indistinguishable from brand new ones, providing a good opportunity for savings directly from Apple. However, larger discounts are often available from resellers like Amazon.

Article Link: Apple Begins Selling Refurbished 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M3 Chip in Canada and Europe

 

[AND411]

Only M3 chip devices (8 core CPU), lame……..

 

[andrewxgx]

so in other words, people return those like crazy?

 

[Realityck]

Only M3 chip devices (8 core CPU), lame……..

That 14" M3 MBP replaced the obsolete 13" M2 MBP. So this year you can get a 14" MBP with the superior mini-LED display with 6 speakers for $400 USD less then the M3 Pro $1999 USD (list prices). The soon to arrive M3 15" MBA is only a $100 less, not sure its that great a buy comparably to the more capable 14" M3 MBP?

 

[AND411]

With 16gb it's only $ 200, fewer cores, only one fan and only 2 TB ports. The fact that so many 8-core devices are now ending up in refurbished stores is a symptom.
The difference between the display of the Air and the 14 Pro isn't so big that you should pay hundreds of dollars more for it.

 

[CalMin]

so in other words, people return those like crazy?

Possibly, but my money is on the YouTube 'reviewers' who bought one, made a video and then took it back to the store.

 

[bodhisattva]

Possibly, but my money is on the YouTube 'reviewers' who bought one, made a video and then took it back to the store.

Or all those that are sent out to influencers for free trials, but ultimately must be returned. iJess and others get items shipped to them all the time to test and post said YouTube videos at no cost. Free advertising, but can't really sell those as new after.

 

[JordanCautious]

I'm actually in the middle of the MacBook buying process right now with Best Buy using their Upgrade+ program. Funny thing is, I changed my mind from the Midnight MacBook Air (planning a return) to the $2k MacBook Pro since it was only a difference of $300 for a 120hz screen and a significantly better chip. So with Apple Refurbished, the $2k MacBook Pro M3 Pro is the same price as a 15" M2 MacBook Air with 512/16. That's crazy lmao

 

[phrehdd]

So does anyone know, are these returned items mostly the lowest core model with the minimum amount of RAM?

 

[Fuzzball84]

I might consider the Macbook Pro in 5 years or so

One thing i like about the pros over my m2 macbook air is the thickness…. It just feels far more sturdy. I haven't had an issue with my m2 macbook air at all… but it “feels” way more fragile than the Pro.

I handle it extra carefully lol especially when in my laptop bag

🤔

 

[Realityck]

I might consider the Macbook Pro in 5 years or so

One thing i like about the pros over my m2 macbook air is the thickness…. It just feels far more sturdy. I haven't had an issue with my m2 macbook air at all… but it “feels” way more fragile than the Pro.

I handle it extra carefully lol especially when in my laptop bag

🤔

A Memory Foam Laptop Sleeve Laptop Case is very reasonable and you can fit that inside a laptop bag for extra protection against accidents as a FYI.

 

[Fuzzball84]

A Memory Foam Laptop Sleeve Laptop Case is very reasonable and you can fit that inside a laptop bag for extra protection against accidents as a FYI.

Yeah those are useful for sure…. But its not dings like that im worried about… its that is so thin that i don't think it would take much force to bend it if someone was to push past you or if it was in a bag with many other items pressing against it. Ive found it difficult to find a decent bag that has a soft interior but a hard outer shell like Thule used to sell many years ago.

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

wen eta M3 Pro refurbs in Canada

 

[svish]

Good to see its availability in more markets.

 

[Steve-Jobz]

For those in need, the official refurbished version may be more worth buying than second-hand machines from unknown sources.

 

[dominiongamma]

Possibly, but my money is on the YouTube 'reviewers' who bought one, made a video and then took it back to the store.

That stuff should be banned honestly since they are that famous online stores should banned them if they keep returning a product. It’s abusing the return policy. I rarely return items and just seeing people doing it so often at Apple makes me shake my head at people

 

[arcite]

Only M3 chip devices (8 core CPU), lame……..

lame compared to what? If you're upgrading from anything more than a few years old, it's an awesome bit of kit.

 

[PsykX]

However, larger discounts are often available from resellers like Amazon.

This is true only in the USA. We never really see resellers discounting Apple products in Canada.

 

[cocoua]

my app had dimamic island menus 10 years ago and I dont recall that even something new at that moment.

There are plenty of similar examples in Ui design

 

[satchmo]

I'm curious who the target buyer would be for an M3 MacBook Pro with only 8gb?

 

[jblank]

I'm curious who the target buyer would be for an M3 MacBook Pro with only 8gb?

An oblivious cheapskate. No Pro model should ever have 8gb RAM in 2024.

 

[CalMin]

I'm curious who the target buyer would be for an M3 MacBook Pro with only 8gb?

Well first, I have to defend 8GB. It's an unpopular opinion in these forums, but 8GB really gets lot of things done very well with Apple silicon. A base spec Air is a great machine for most non-nerds i.e. if your main uses are Web, email, photos, short video projects, MS Office etc.. My wife has an 8GB M1 Air and it's more computer than she will need for YEARS!

With that said, in a Pro chassis, I tend to agree that 8GB is a little odd in terms of positioning. I mean, it's still a perfectly capable machine but one I would only recommend at a steep discount, otherwise I would steer people towards a MacBook Air which offers similar performance in a different chassis.

So who's buying it? Well... my guesses are:

1. Those who prefer the screen and port selection of the 14" body over the thin and light Air (e.g. if you need dongle free HDMI or SD card slot).
2. The unenlightened who might think that the M3 'Pro' machine somehow offers more performance than an Air (this will be especially true when the M3 Air arrives). Sure it has a cooling fan which helps in some situations, but it's not night and day difference.
3. Those who get it at a big discount.

Of all the machines in Apple's current line-up this is the most perplexing. It exists to hit a price point for the Pro, but it's really hard to recommend it over an Air.

 

[satchmo]

Well first, I have to defend 8GB. It's an unpopular opinion in these forums, but 8GB really gets lot of things done very well with Apple silicon. A base spec Air is a great machine for most non-nerds i.e. if your main uses are Web, email, photos, short video projects, MS Office etc.. My wife has an 8GB M1 Air and it's more computer than she will need for YEARS!

With that said, in a Pro chassis, I tend to agree that 8GB is a little odd in terms of positioning. I mean, it's still a perfectly capable machine but one I would only recommend at a steep discount, otherwise I would steer people towards a MacBook Air which offers similar performance in a different chassis.

So who's buying it? Well... my guesses are:

1. Those who prefer the screen and port selection of the 14" body over the thin and light Air (e.g. if you need dongle free HDMI or SD card slot).
2. The unenlightened who might think that the M3 'Pro' machine somehow offers more performance than an Air (this will be especially true when the M3 Air arrives). Sure it has a cooling fan which helps in some situations, but it's not night and day difference.
3. Those who get it at a big discount.

Of all the machines in Apple's current line-up this is the most perplexing. It exists to hit a price point for the Pro, but it's really hard to recommend it over an Air.

Right, I have nothing against 8 gigabytes on lower models either.

Which is why I’m pointing out this particular MBP. And perhaps a bad analogy, but it’s like putting a powerful engine in a car, but giving it only a drop of gas.

Having a M3 is a waste when you can only do so much before you run into a bottleneck. As you suggested a MacBook Air would serve the needs of most.

The only possible user I could think of might be a day trader who needs a Pro model to connect to multiple displays.

 

[dexterie]

I'm curious who the target buyer would be for an M3 MacBook Pro with only 8gb?

Someone who doesn’t need more than 8gb? I got one to replace my 2016 13” pro. I was aiming for the 13” Air but I wanted a slightly larger display and better speakers. As I often work outside, the brighter display was also a nice boost.
I could have bought whatever MacBook but I went for this one because it fits my needs. More than fits. It’s actually overkill.
Not everyone needs 16+Gb ram. Even the Air would be overkill, but I chose the “Pro” for the form factor.

Edit: also bought it at a discount (some anniversary discount at a local store), making it cheaper than buying the 15” Air directly from Apple.

 

[lfaa]

The soon to arrive M3 15" MBA is only a $100 less, not sure its that great a buy comparably to the more capable 14" M3 MBP?

Interesting question- I would say as they both have a M3, and if they have the same RAM no noticeable differences would be seen, right?