Trade in / Resale value of 2016-2019 Macbook Pros

[Mity]

How much is your current gen Macbook Pro 15" worth when trading into Apple or in resale? Apple is offering $750 to trade in a base mid-2015 15" 2.2Ghz 256GB SSD model MJLQ2LL/A.

Backstory:
I bought a brand new mid-2015 Macbook Pro 15" with an iGPU MJLQ2LL/A on eBay for $1500+tax (almost $1700 total). There are two sellers on eBay selling these machines. My current Mac is a mid-2014 MBP 13" with only 8GB of RAM and it's mostly okay with a 4K screen but the fans ramp up when doing anything intensive like using Google Street View. A 4K screen is a must for me as I need multiple windows all at once.

I'm starting a Data Science Masters and I would like a new computer. I bought the 2015 model but I have not opened the package because I wonder if I would be better off taking the risk with the new 2019 model and then trading it in / selling it if any problems develop. That got me thinking about resale value and I wonder what the 2015 model will be worth 4 years from now - Apple is currently offering $750 towards a trade-in for the base model listed above (2.2Ghz, 256GB SSD). As a result, perhaps it's better to get the 2019 model...

Edit: I can still return the new 2015 to the seller since I'm still within the 30-day return window.

 

[maflynn]

How much is your current gen Macbook Pro 15" worth when trading into Apple or in resale?

I sold my 2018 MBP around 1,900 - I think, I kind of forget the actual value but it was close to 2k. It was about 6 months old when I executed the sale. I don't know if that was indicative of the market value but other laptops were going in the 2k range. in hindsight I think i might been able to hold out for a few hundred more but it was sold and the buyer has not come back or bugged me, so from that perspective I'm very happy.

I bought the 2015 model but I have not opened the package because I wonder if I would be better off taking the risk with the new 2019 model and then trading it in / selling it if any problems develop.

That's a tough question, 750 seems awfully low on the trade in, especially when they're selling refurb 2015 models for around double that. You'll definitely get over a thousand from the 2015, maybe closer 1,500 if you sell through craigslist BUT is it worth the headaches and hassle? Since you already have the 2015 model in hand, I'd say at this point keep it, as you'll not recoup what you paid for it, and you'll be spending even more on a 2019 model.

 

[Mity]

Since you already have the 2015 model in hand, I'd say at this point keep it, as you'll not recoup what you paid for it, and you'll be spending even more on a 2019 model.

I'm still within the 30-day return window. And the package is still sealed.

 

[maflynn]

I'm still within the 30-day return window. And the package is still sealed.

Oh, so you'll not need to trade it in or sell it. Then in some respects its less about trying to recoup the costs and buy another and keep the 2015 vs. buying a 2019.

If you have the funds, Id say the 2019 is a better choice, simply because its a brand new model, vs. a 4 year old computer (that is still sealed). If it were me, I'd roll the dice on the 2019 but if the keyboard problem scares you too much the 2015 will handle what you need for school

 

[Mity]

Oh, so you'll not need to trade it in or sell it. Then in some respects its less about trying to recoup the costs and buy another and keep the 2015 vs. buying a 2019.

Yes, I'm sorry, I worded my OP a bit awkwardly. I meant to say, if something were to go wrong with the 2019, how much could I sell it / trade it in for a few years down the line? I was trying to use the 2016-2018 models a a proxy for pricing the 2019 later down the road.

I'd roll the dice on the 2019 but if the keyboard problem scares you too much the 2015 will handle what you need for school

~80% of the time, I use it in clamshell mode...

 

[maflynn]

if something were to go wrong with the 2019, how much could I sell it to Apple a few years down the line? I was trying to use the 2016-2018 models a a proxy for pricing the 2019 later down the road.

Ahh I see. Well as I mentioned I sold my 6 month old MBP for around 1,900 give or take. My only thought is the toll of the keyboard problems are taking on the resale value. I was lucky enough to sell my 2018 model just as news was percolating to the top about the keyboard failure. I think if the 2019 model starts incurring keyboard problems it will have a larger impact on resale, simply because this is the the 5th year straight with keyboard problems (counting the 2015 MacBook). I was rather confident that Apple solved the 2018 and I think the silicone membrane helped, so hopefully this new 4th gen keyboard is problem free.

 

[nudoru]

You’ll never get enough money by selling to Apple or Gazelle. Doing it yourself on eBay or Craigslist will get you the most return.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"How much is your current gen Macbook Pro 15" worth when trading into Apple or in resale? Apple is offering $750 to trade in a base mid-2015 15" 2.2Ghz 256GB SSD model MJLQ2LL/A. "

Your post doesn't "match the title".

Your title is about 2016-2019 MBP's, and then you ask about a 2015 MBP, which is "an entirely different animal".

Which is it?

If you have a 2015 MBP 15", I'd KEEP IT.

Consider all the problems folks have had with the 2016-later MBP's.

I'll keep using my own 2015 MBP until it won't run any more!

 

[turbineseaplane]

I couldn't drive my 4k LG 31MU97 screen at 60hz with the iGPU 2015 15"

I needed the dGPU model to do that.
...even then it made the fans spin up.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the 2015 15" MBP's, but driving 4k screens is where the age starts to show.

It's a much better machine, more in its element and performing best, using only the internal screen or an external that's sub-4k.

 

[Mity]

OP wrote:
"How much is your current gen Macbook Pro 15" worth when trading into Apple or in resale? Apple is offering $750 to trade in a base mid-2015 15" 2.2Ghz 256GB SSD model MJLQ2LL/A. "

Your post doesn't "match the title".

Your title is about 2016-2019 MBP's, and then you ask about a 2015 MBP, which is "an entirely different animal".

Which is it?

I am trying to figure out how much the current gen Macbooks would sell for further down the line. For example, if I know that a 2016 is worth $1400 now (3 years later), a 2017 is worth $1600 (2 years later), etc. I can get a good approximation of the depreciation schedule. The $750 for the 2015 model serves as the salvage value, meaning, at the very least, it would be worth $750 at the end of 4 years.

That's why I asked people what prices they were getting from Apple. You need a serial number to get a quote on Apple's website.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@Mity

Honestly, if you're trying to comfortably and quietly fully drive a 4k display, the decision should be made already.

The 2015 is not the machine you want for that - trust me - I had 3 of them.

 

[Mity]

@Mity

Honestly, if you're trying to comfortably and quietly fully drive a 4k display, the decision should be made already.

The 2015 is not the machine you want for that - trust me - I had 3 of them.

What kind of work do you do on the machine? I have a mid-2014 MBP 13" 8GB RAM and I am able to run 4K at 30hz (I don't see a difference at 60hz for the work I do) on my LG 43UD79. I have Jupyter, Sublime Text, 10 tabs on Chrome, PostGres in Safari, and the fans will stay inaudible. They ramp up on GPU intensive tasks like 4K YouTube and Google Streetview. I can image that the only additional programs I would need to run for my Masters would be RStudio. Not sure how taxing that would be.

 

[turbineseaplane]

If you're ok with 4k @ 30hz, we may not be good proxies for each other.
30hz mouse cursor movement and interaction makes me want to look for a bridge to jump off.

You said this:

My current Mac is a mid-2014 MBP 13" with only 8GB of RAM and it's mostly okay with a 4K screen but the fans ramp up when doing anything intensive like using Google Street View. A 4K screen is a must for me as I need multiple windows all at once.

(emphasis mine)

The 2015 will not be a meaningful improvement on your concerns stated above.
It will still be only "mostly okay" for 4k.

 

[jerryk]

If you are going into Data Science are you sure you want a MacBook Pro? Lots of ML libraries only support GPU acceleration on Nvidia GPUs, which Macs do not support. If you training models of any size, an Nvidia GPU can give 4 to 10 times acceleration.