Thinking about ordering a 11 inch MBA. Any difference between new and refurb other than it maybe coming with a different box?
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New vs Refurb?
- Thread starter mag2001
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Refurb. You got 14 days to try it and decide whether or not to keep it. Refurb is basically same as new but with a nice discount.
Different box, same content. Your choice as to how much you are willing to pay extra for the nice packaging
It's just a box lol.
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.
Click the link in that quote for more details on the refurbishment process.
- 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 notebook 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.
You won't be sorry. I've purchased twice thru the refurb store, and both times I've been pleased as punch.
The only thing is new equipment can take anywhere from 2-3 mos or sometimes longer, to show up in there though. There are still no MacPros in there; perhaps I've blinked and missed them, but I haven't seen them there yet, even though out of curiosity, I check the entire refurb store regularly.
The point I'm trying to make is, be prepared to act fast when you see what you like.
I am an Asian, live in Malaysia. Any idea how should i get a refurb set? I do have friends in the states, wondering does Apple in my country recognize the warranty? 
If you plan on keeping it long-term, I recommend new.
If you plan on selling/trading it short-term (less than 2 years), I recommend refurb.
The price of a refurb isn't THAT much different than new, IMO. That difference is worth the peace of mind of eliminating the possibility that something in the refurb may cause the device to fail after the warranty. There is no way to know why a particular unit is a refurb and so there's no way of knowing if there will be a problem down the road.
That's my perspective.
Both refurbs and new models have the same possibility of something failing after the warranty expires. There is no higher risk of that in a refurb. The reason a unit may have been refurbished (failed hard drive, screen problem, defective logic board, etc.) has already been addressed by the faulty components being replaced and thoroughly tested before offering as a refurb. Each new unit isn't subjected to individual testing and inspection like refurbished units.
Whether you plan to keep your Mac long or short term, there is no difference in buying a refurb or a new unit.
+1 on the refurbished. I saved several $100 after taxes on a 2013 Ultimate MBA with only 5 charges cycle.
You are free to believe that... but as I said, no one knows why a particular unit was refurbed. Apple runs each unit through a battery of tests. Any part that fails, gets replaced. If a part passes (but is unknowingly marginal), it doesn't get replaced.
How long were these refurbed units out in the field? Subtract that time off of the expected lifespan of the components.
Common sense would say that all things being equal including the effective lifespan, then older devices have less life remaining than new ones.
Many refurbs are returned unopened because the buyer changed their minds. Many others are returned for something simple, like a faulty drive. All refurbs are carefully inspected and tested and any defective parts are replaced. Once a unit has been refurbished, there is no greater risk of failure of that unit than a new unit. Since all refurb models are covered by the same warranty as new models and are eligible for AppleCare, there is no greater risk in buying a refurbished Mac.
Don't they only use the units returned within the 14 day period for refurbs? I can't imagine that you can return a unit after a couple months of use.
I personally preffer new box. A new product is better, you can stay realxed that you won't have any problems. I never get refurbished just because i like to stay in peace without thinking i could have problems.
There are no assurances that you won't have problems with a new product, or that a new product will have fewer problems than a refurb. The refurb has the added advantage of having been individually thoroughly tested and inspected, where new products are mass produced without each unit being individually tested. The possibility that a product, new or refurbished, could have a defect that isn't apparent before purchase is why both are covered by the same warranty. If anything gives peace of mind, it's the warranty and AppleCare.
If you prefer a new box, that's another matter. Or if you simply prefer new, that's up to you. But there is no greater risk of problems with a refurb and, in fact, that risk may be less with a refurbished product than with a new one.
I like refurbs
I've had great results with refurbished products form Apple. New unit warranty and you can purchase Apple Care. No real difference from new other than price IMHO.
Only one refurb was problematic. iPad Mini purchased from the refurb site had flaky WiFi. I returned it to the Apple store and bought a new iPad mini. Weak WFi on the new one too. May just be a mini thing, who knows?
If you are more comfortable with new there is nothing wrong with buying peace of mind. Do what works for you. Apple stands behind either one.
I have never purchased refurbished electronics from any company but Apple. Not inclined to do so. I'm confident Apple will treat me fairly if an issue presents.
I don't buy AC.
I've had great results with refurbished products form Apple. New unit warranty and you can purchase Apple Care. No real difference from new other than price IMHO.
Only one refurb was problematic. iPad Mini purchased from the refurb site had flaky WiFi. I returned it to the Apple store and bought a new iPad mini. Weak WFi on the new one too. May just be a mini thing, who knows?
If you are more comfortable with new there is nothing wrong with buying peace of mind. Do what works for you. Apple stands behind either one.
I have never purchased refurbished electronics from any company but Apple. Not inclined to do so. I'm confident Apple will treat me fairly if an issue presents.
I don't buy AC.
I just got a refurb router, and it works great, after i saw this thread first time i figured out that refurbished things usualy are much better and are better tested and might have a longer functioning life, so i will remain at refurbished.
All of GGJstudio's posts on this thread are excellent and worth heeding.
Refurbs offer excellent value, have been individually tested, and come with exactly the same warranty and guarantees as a brand new Mac; you can buy Applecare on a refurb, giving you a total of three years warranty.
Personally, I have had both refurb and brand new computers and can attest to the fact that both were excellent.
Sometime you get a higher spec item with a referb. More memory, drive capacity, screen options, etc.
Other than it may of been handled by a person that is too stupid to own a computer it's the same. Btw apple washes off their cooties before sending it to you.
Other than it may of been handled by a person that is too stupid to own a computer it's the same. Btw apple washes off their cooties before sending it to you.
Refurb. As someone else mentioned Apple often sends a higher spec'd model than the one you selected and paid for. If nothing else, order a base model refurb and see if they send you an upgraded model. If they do, then resale value will be better than if you would have purchased a new one now.
+1 on the previous two posts. I bought a refurb 21" iMac chose one with only an upgraded 1TB fusion drive. They must have sold out of that stock and were forced to ship me one with 16GB of RAM and a faster processor. Was lucky they ran out of the odd combination of features we had selected.
this answer can be highly wrong most of the products in the refurbished store is over stock from when apple made a past generation EX 2013 macbook air unsold goes in refurbished store while the 2014 model is in unrefurbished