Apple’s latest refurb drop brings cheaper MacBooks, iPhone 16 Plus, and Apple Watches

Apple has added several new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro configurations to its Certified Refurbished Store, alongside more iPhone 16 Plus models and Apple Watches.

The MacBook Air additions arrive at a particularly useful time. New M5 MacBook Air models are currently running in short supply across Apple’s retail network, with some configurations facing delivery estimates stretching into late August or September. Apple also raised MacBook Air prices in June, so students shopping before the new school year are being asked to spend more while potentially waiting longer to get one.

Shikhar Mehrotra / Digital Trends

Refurbished MacBooks could help with the supply problem

The cheapest refurbished M5 MacBook Air we spotted earlier, a 13-inch model with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage for $1,099, has already sold out. Apple’s refurbished inventory changes quickly, so there is no guarantee it will remain unavailable.

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For now, the cheapest option is actually the larger 15-inch M5 MacBook Air with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. It costs $1,269 refurbished, compared to $1,499 new, saving buyers $230.

The cheapest refurbished 13-inch model currently available has 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD for $1,359, down from $1,599. There is also a 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro with 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage for $1,699 instead of $1,999.

Here are the notable additions available through Apple’s refurbished store at the time of writing:

MacBooks (Air & Pro)

Product Configuration New Price Refurbished Price
15-inch MacBook Air M5, 16GB Memory, 512GB Storage $1,499 $1,269
13-inch MacBook Air M5, 16GB Memory, 1TB Storage $1,599 $1,359
13-inch MacBook Air M5, 24GB Memory, 1TB SSD $1,799 $1,529
15-inch MacBook Air M5, 24GB Memory, 2TB SSD $2,499 $2,119
14-inch MacBook Pro M5, 16GB Memory, 1TB Storage $1,999 $1,699
14-inch MacBook Pro M5, 24GB Memory, 1TB Storage, Nano-texture display $2,349 $1,999
14-inch MacBook Pro M5, 24GB Memory, 2TB Storage $2,699 $2,419

iPhone 16 Plus

Product Configuration New Price Refurbished Price
iPhone 16 Plus 128GB – White (Unlocked) $829 $699
iPhone 16 Plus 256GB – Black (Unlocked) $929 $789
iPhone 16 Plus 512GB – White (Unlocked) $1,129 $959

Apple Watches

Product Configuration New Price Refurbished Price
Apple Watch SE 3 GPS + Cellular, 44mm Midnight Aluminum Case $329 $279
Apple Watch Series 11 GPS, 46mm Silver Aluminum Case $429 $369
Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular, 46mm Jet Black Aluminum Case $529 $449
Apple Watch Series 11 GPS + Cellular, 46mm Gold Titanium Case $749 $639

Apple refurbished products are usually a safe bet

Apple says its certified refurbished products undergo functional testing and inspection and come with the same one-year limited warranty and 14-day return policy, while AppleCare can also be purchased. Supplies are limited, so individual configurations can disappear quickly.

The iPhone 16 Plus is also worth noting. Apple no longer sells the 512GB model new, making the refurbished store one of the few official ways to still buy that particular configuration.

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