IT’S surprisingly easy to slash hundreds of pounds off your gadgets – you just need to shop in the right places.
If you’re hoping to snap up some new Apple gear (or Amazon) then there’s a trick worth knowing.
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Loads of top gadget makers have official refurbished stores with “like new” products sold at massive discounts.
Apple has a dedicated virtual Certified Refurbished store where you can buy an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and more for far below the usual retail price.
It’s easy to dismiss refurbished gadgets as being low quality used gear – but that’s not the case if you’re getting a proper refurbished item.
And the savings can be enormous if you’re willing to buy a product that isn’t “brand new”.
HOW DOES APPLE’S REFURBISHED SCHEME WORK?
Every company will have different rules for how they restore gadgets.
On the Apple Store, the refurbished gear is cleaned, inspected, and tested by the company.
So it should feel pretty new and work as normal.
It’ll also come with proper Apple replacement parts if anything was broken and needed fixing. So if the screen was busted, it won’t have been swapped out for a dodgy third-party part.
You’ll get it newly packaged and shipping is free.
And Apple also gives you the standard one-year warranty that you’d get if you were buying a brand new product.
You’re also able to bag AppleCare with it, which is normally possible with used gadgets.
If you’re buying an iPhone, you’ll get the usual accessories and cables – but also a brand new battery.
That’s important because phone batteries degrade over time with use, so they end up holding less charge. A degraded battery can also affect the performance of your mobile.
So with the battery swapped out, it should have like-new battery life and performance.
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You can also spend Apple Trade In credit on the Certified Refurbished store too, if you’re keen to hand in your old mobile.
HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE?
The savings depends on the gadget that you’re looking to buy.
For iPhone, Apple is currently flogging the following models:
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
The biggest saving right now is £310 off certain iPhone 14 Pro Max models.
If you’re snapping up a pricer gadget like a Mac computer, the savings get even bigger.
There’s a Mac Studio on the Certified Refurbished store right now with a £1,050 discount.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL OFFER
If you want another deal, there’s a great back-to-school offer at Apple…
It’s an Education discount, which means you have to qualify to bag the offer.
But it gets you a free pair of Apple AirPods 4 worth £129 if you buy the right iPad or Mac.
The offer is running right through to October 21 and works on:
- iPad Air
- iPad Pro
- MacBook Air
- MacBook Pro
- iMac
It’s available to higher education students, parents buying gadgets for them, or teachers and teaching staff at any level.
Students as young as 16 can bag the deal as long as they’re enrolled (or accepted to enroll) as a tertiary education institution.
That includes colleges, sixth forms, and university.
You just need to verify your status through UNiDAYS to qualify when you’re trying to buy the gear through the Apple Education Store.
This store also discounts products too, so you can get even more savings.
Picture Credit: Apple
But if you’re buying a much cheaper gadget, the savings will be lower.
NOT JUST APPLE
Amazon also has its own special store for refurbished gadgets.
It’s called Amazon Renewed, and lets you get gadgets at discounts.
“Products sold on Amazon Renewed have been inspected and tested to be fully functional by an Amazon qualified and performance managed supplier,” Amazon explains.
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For the best quality, you’ll want items stamped with the “Premium Condition” badge – or “Excellent” if you’re willing to put up with slightly worse battery life.
At “Good” or “Acceptable” conditions, you’ll start to notice visible damage – but the price should be lower.
You can find the Amazon Renewed store here.
