Apple is now selling refurbished (and discounted) 16-inch MacBook Pros. So far, it looks like only the US version of the site is selling them, so the rest of us will have to fork out full price if we want an Apple-certified product.
At present the products are discounted by around 15%, which means that one of the rebuilt models will cost you $2379 instead of the full $2799. That’s a decent $420 saving, but probably not quite enough to justify getting the thing insured and delivered overseas.
Related: Taika Waititi rips into MacBook keyboards after Oscars win
You might have reservations about buying rebuilt products, but all of the Apple-approved ones come with a full year-long guarantee. You’ll also get the laptop in a shiny new box (if that’s important to you) with the full bag of accessories and cables, as long as there’s enough availability.
Apple also promises that the products have been refurbished with genuine Apple parts and that it cleans the gadgets too – so there shouldn’t be any greasy fingerprints lingering on your screen.
As long as you’re getting a recent (-ish) model, you should also find that your new purchase comes with the latest operating system installed.
When we tested out the latest MacBook, we gave it a respectable 4.5 out of 5 – it was the best laptop we’ve tested for creative pursuits. It has a brilliant, gargantuan screen and impressively speedy performance on tasks such as video editing, animating and 3D modelling
If we’re nit-picking, then we thought it could do with a few more ports and we wouldn’t mind Wi-Fi 6 being thrown in. But it was very nearly a perfect gadget, except for that horrible price tag.
Read our full review of the Macbook 16-inch Pro
We’ve reached out to Apple to confirm whether or not it will stock refurbished 16-inch MacBooks in its UK stores or anywhere else.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
