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iPad 2- Refirbushed VS new?

marc55

marc55

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 14, 2011
872
283
Looking to get my wife an ipad2 for Christmas, and see that the Apple store has refirbs for a $50 savings.

I know they put a new battery and case on them, but just wondering where they get them from, how old they are, and if they were returned products with problems, or simply customers who purchased they and returned them because they changed their minds within 30 days?

Also, would an Apple refirb have IOS5 on it?

So is it worth it to buy a refirb for only a 10% savings, and have any of you guys purchased a refirb ipad2?

Thank you
 
Last edited:
marc55 said:
Looking to get my wife an ipad2 for Christmas, and see that the Apple store has refirbs for a $50 savings.

I know they put a new battery and case on them, but just wondering where they get them from, how old they are, and if they were returned products with problems, or simply customers who purchased they and returned them because they changed their minds within 30 days?

Also, would an Apple refirb have IOS5 on it?

So is it worth it to buy a refirb for only a 10% savings, and have any of you guys purchased a refirb ipad2?

Thank you
Click to expand...
Apple refurbs are pristine in my and friend's experiences, as you noted new battery and case.

Beyond that, who cares how old, or where they came from.

It's easy enough to update a device to iOS5, does it really matter?
 
I have just recently decided for the refurb one. Don't have it yet, but from what I heard you shouldn't even be able to distinguish between the new one or a refurb one.
 
I always buy refurb whenever I can. They're cheaper, have gone through more thorough testing that a new unit has, and in the end, you can't tell the difference. $50 is $50, that'll pay for your case.
 
I ll try to keep this brief.....
I originally bought a white iPad 2 when they were released, and the build quality was terrible. It had the screen bleeding issue and one bright pixel in the centre. SO, I returned it for a refund. Three months later I purchased a second one, and it was also not so great either. The plastic around the bezel was coming off just at the headphone socket and the screen had gaps at points where it met the backing.
I returned it.
I recently ordered a refurb white iPad 2 and it is perfect in every way. Zero light bleed, no dead pixels, totally uniform screen and the build quality is perfect, and I examined it well.
In my opinion, the refurb is better than either of the iPads I purchased from the Apple stores. So that's my story...is there a moral? Maybe, but I'd say, don't ever be afraid to purchase refurbs from Apple...
 
I'm sorry guys, but to save $50 a refurb is just not worth it.

Especially considering its a Christmas gift for the wife? I don't think so.
 
ZBoater said:
I'm sorry guys, but to save $50 a refurb is just not worth it.

Especially considering its a Christmas gift for the wife? I don't think so.
Click to expand...

$50 is $50. There's really no downside that I can see. And considering they're drawing from the same pool, the $50 would be appreciated (my wife would look at it as an opportunity to spend the $50 elsewhere - on herself, of course).
 
The most common true failures of electronic equipment occur shortly after they are first turned on. Thus, most refurbished models are returns of nearly new units.

There is, of course, the possibility that whatever problem the first owner encountered has not been remedied. But if that's the case, you have full warranty protection on the unit. I wouldn't hesitate to choose a refurbished model.

Having said that, be sure to examine the unit carefully while still in the store for any cosmetic damage that has not been fixed. (Unlikely). And be sure the iPad operates (just in case a bad unit somehow slipped through the net.)
 
ZBoater said:
I'm sorry guys, but to save $50 a refurb is just not worth it.
Click to expand...

That's how I felt so purchased a new one.

jsh1120 said:
The most common true failures of electronic equipment occur shortly after they are first turned on. Thus, most refurbished models are returns of nearly new units.

There is, of course, the possibility that whatever problem the first owner encountered has not been remedied. But if that's the case, you have full warranty protection on the unit. I wouldn't hesitate to choose a refurbished model.

Having said that, be sure to examine the unit carefully while still in the store for any cosmetic damage that has not been fixed. (Unlikely). And be sure the iPad operates (just in case a bad unit somehow slipped through the net.)
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, refurbs are only online.
 
jsh1120 said:
The most common true failures of electronic equipment occur shortly after they are first turned on. Thus, most refurbished models are returns of nearly new units.

There is, of course, the possibility that whatever problem the first owner encountered has not been remedied. But if that's the case, you have full warranty protection on the unit. I wouldn't hesitate to choose a refurbished model.

Having said that, be sure to examine the unit carefully while still in the store for any cosmetic damage that has not been fixed. (Unlikely). And be sure the iPad operates (just in case a bad unit somehow slipped through the net.)
Click to expand...

As an aside, I worked at the corporate headquarters of a large retailer about 20 years ago. One of the electronics buyers told me that their stats showed the vast majority of TV defects showing up in the first 30 days and told me to only buy floor models. I bought a TV for myself and one for my parents - both lasted well over a decade with zero issues.
 
I bought my iPad 1 32GB Wifi refurbished back in May when they were $429, and it works just fine. I saved a ton of money, and I actually kind of prefer the heft of it. Honestly, the improvements the iPad 2 offered for me weren't worth an extra $170. A refurbished unit is the way to go! Cheaper and tested more thoroughly. And there is still a (14-day or 30-day, I'm not really sure) return period and the same one-year warranty, so if something does go wrong, you can just get it fixed. Just my $.02. :)
 
doboy said:
That's how I felt so purchased a new one.



Unfortunately, refurbs are only online.
Click to expand...

For now this is true.
As Apple adds more locations soon you will be able to order it online and go to the store to pick it up and check it out.
 
I have purchased both a refurb model and a new model in the past and could not tell the difference between the two!
 
jsh1120 said:
The most common true failures of electronic equipment occur shortly after they are first turned on. Thus, most refurbished models are returns of nearly new units.

There is, of course, the possibility that whatever problem the first owner encountered has not been remedied. But if that's the case, you have full warranty protection on the unit. I wouldn't hesitate to choose a refurbished model.

Having said that, be sure to examine the unit carefully while still in the store for any cosmetic damage that has not been fixed. (Unlikely). And be sure the iPad operates (just in case a bad unit somehow slipped through the net.)
Click to expand...

You can only buy refurbs online,,,,,

Edit: Sorry, I see you have been corrected already,,,,apologies
 
ZBoater said:
I'm sorry guys, but to save $50 a refurb is just not worth it.

Especially considering its a Christmas gift for the wife? I don't think so.
Click to expand...

:confused::confused: what is it about a referb thats not worth it?

The item is inspected better than a new one, its cheaper, you can't discern that its a referb by sight, no one to date that we know of has had a bum unit. So I don't get where you're coming from with your "its not worth it", its not worth what???
 
RenoG said:
:confused::confused: what is it about a referb thats not worth it?

The item is inspected better than a new one, its cheaper, you can't discern that its a referb by sight, no one to date that we know of has had a bum unit. So I don't get where you're coming from with your "its not worth it", its not worth what???
Click to expand...
Additionally, they still come in pretty white Apple boxes.
 
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