Apple products hold their value and last a long time, which makes them some of the best devices to buy refurbished. Since Apple moved to its own Apple silicon chips (M1, M2, M3 and beyond), even a few-year-old Mac is fast, quiet and excellent on battery. Here is our guide to buying a refurbished MacBook, iMac, Mac mini or iPad with confidence.
Apple at a glance
Why we only recommend Apple silicon Macs
Apple has confirmed that macOS Tahoe is the final major macOS release for Intel-based Macs. Apple silicon Macs, starting with the 2020 M1 models, continue to get new versions of macOS and the latest features. That is why our refurbished Mac range is focused on M-series machines: you get a Mac that is quick today and will keep getting updates for years.
Apple silicon in plain English
| Chip | Launched | What it is like to use |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | 2020 | Still fast for everyday work, browsing, Microsoft 365 and photo editing. Superb value refurbished. |
| M2 | 2022 | A step up in speed and graphics, plus the redesigned MacBook Air with a larger screen and MagSafe charging. |
| M3 | 2023 | Faster again, with hardware ray tracing. Great for creative work and longer-term ownership. |
| M-series Pro | 2021 onward | More performance cores, more graphics power and more memory for video, music and development work. |
Which Apple device suits you?
Refurbished Apple prices
Starting prices at the time of writing; stock changes regularly.
- MacBook Air: the best laptop for most people. Silent, light and with all-day battery life.
- MacBook Pro: for photo and video editing, music production or coding, especially the M1 Pro, M2 Pro and M3 Pro models.
- iMac 24": a beautiful all-in-one for the family room or home office, with just one cable.
- Mac mini: the cheapest way into macOS if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse.
- iPad: perfect for browsing, streaming, schoolwork and notes, with the M1 iPad Air and iPad Pro adding laptop-class performance.
Memory on a Mac cannot be upgraded later. If you keep lots of apps open or edit photos and video, choose 16GB of RAM from the start, like our 16GB iMacs or our M1 Pro and M2 Pro MacBook Pros.
What we check on every refurbished Apple device
Our Apple checks
Browse refurbished MacBooks, iMacs and iPads
Shop AppleNot sure which is right for you? Pop into Storm Computer Shop at 41A Green Street, Ayr KA8 8BQ, call 01292 876415 or email team@stormtechstore.co.uk. We deliver UK-wide, with free shipping on orders over £150.