Apple just began offering refurbished units of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 series processors. These launched in early 2023, and shoppers can save almost $1,000 by choosing a refurb unit.
These are primarily devices that consumers bought then returned so supplies are limited. But these selection is surprisingly broad.
2023 MacBook Pro refurbs come with sweet, sweet discounts
While buying a brand new Apple product feels safe and reassuring, getting a refurbished unit instead is one of the best ways to save money. Apple prepares these so you’re not taking any risk.
Refurb buyers can only choose from the colors and band combinations that Apple has in stock. Sometimes, that can be a real limitation but apparently a lot of people configured MacBooks exactly the way they wanted them then returned them anyway — there’s a very wide selection of devices available.
The standard 16-inch 2023 MacBook Pro with M2 Pro, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD that ordinarily sells for $2,499 is available as a refurb for $2,119, a savings of $380. That’s 15% off. But one with M2 Max, 96GB of RAM and 8TB of storage and an upgraded GPU is $5,519, down from the regular price of $6,499… almost $1,000 less.
As for the 14-inch macOS notebook from January 2023, the version with M2 Pro, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD that normally sells for $1,999 is available for $1,699. That’s $300 in savings, or about 18% off. But again, this can be tricked out with an M2 Max processor, 96GB of RAM and an 8TB processor for $5,349, down from $6,299.
And there are many possibilities between these extremes. Check the list of available 2023 MacBook Pro configurations and their prices on Apple’s page for refurbished devices.
What is ‘refurbished’?
When someone buys a product from Apple then returns it, it is resold after going through a refurbishment process.
Each unit comes with a one-year warranty, free delivery and returns. It’s cleaned and undergoes full functional testing, then gets repackaged with appropriate manuals and cables.
Want to know more? Read the Cult of Mac guide on why you should buy Apple Certified Refurbished products.
