Refurbished 2015 Retina MacBook Now Available From Apple's Online Store

Apple recently began offering the 12-inch Retina MacBook in its online store for refurbished products, marking the first time refurbished versions of the Retina MacBook have been made available for purchase.

Released in April of 2015, the Retina MacBook is Apple's thinnest, lightest Mac product, measuring in at just 13.1mm thick and weighing 2 pounds. The machine has a full edge-to-edge keyboard, a fanless design enabled by a low power Core-M chip from Intel, and a Retina Display.

refurbishedretinamacbook
While the main refurbished site does not yet have a listing for the Retina MacBook, refurbished models are available on a dedicated MacBook page. All of the refurbished machines are available at a 15 percent discount.

Apple has four refurbished Retina MacBook models for sale at the current time, including two entry-level 1.1GHz models for $1,099, a $200 discount, and two higher end models. The 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB Retina MacBook in Silver is available for $1,359, a $240 discount, while an upgraded 1.3GHz/8GB/512GB machine in Silver is available for $1,489, $260 off the regular price of $1,749.

For many months after its launch, Retina MacBook supplies were constrained. Shipping estimates were upwards of a month for most models, and most Apple retail stores received very little stock. Personal Pickup for the MacBook wasn't available until August, four months after it was released. Refurbished editions of newly released Macs often show up in the refurbished store after a few months, but the supply issues may explain why refurbished MacBook models haven't previously been available.

Apple's refurbished inventory fluctuates on a regular basis based on available supply, so models that are available today may not be available tomorrow. All of Apple's refurbished products are tested, certified, and come with a one-year warranty.

(Thanks, Matt!)

Related Forum: MacBook

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
fortnite apple logo 2

Epic Resubmits Fortnite to U.S. App Store After Not Hearing From Apple for 120+ Hours

Wednesday May 14, 2025 1:01 pm PDT by
On Friday, Epic Games submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and since then, we've been waiting to see if Apple would approve the game and allow it back on the iPhone and the iPad. There's been no word from Apple so far, but Epic Games opted to pull its first App Store review request, and has now resubmitted Fortnite. Fortnite leaker Shiina shared the news, with the information reposted by...

Top Rated Comments

Trey M Avatar
122 months ago
I don't know how anyone could possibly justify buying one of these over an Air. It defies logic.
What's the first thing you look at when you open a computer?
the screen
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
122 months ago
Still overpriced for what you get. But so was the first MacBook Air, which is now a nice little machine. I might pick one up in a few years unless the iPad Pro gets its crap together. I want to move from a rMBP to an iMac or Mac Pro and then get a really lightweight portable to fill in the gaps.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
122 months ago
I think it's a shame they can't add a second USB-C port when they refurbish...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KPOM Avatar
122 months ago
I don't know how anyone could possibly justify buying one of these over an Air. It defies logic.
Well, it has nearly 4 times the resolution of an Air, is thinner, lighter, has a smaller bezel, and IMO, looks better. Once you experience a hi-res display it's hard to go back. It's everything I liked about the 11.6" MacBook Air with a screen as good as an iPad Air.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SSD-GUY Avatar
122 months ago
Got a 1.1 base model for almost half the price on Gumtree (UK version of craigslist). If I was in the market for a rMB now, I would either buy used or hold out, as the skylake update could be around the corner (in 2 months, it'll be exactly a year since it was announced in March 2015). Skylake for those that haven't read about it, should bring about an extra hour or 2 in battery life, 10/15% CPU improvements, and up to 40% in GPU improvements. Also, judging by the Windows Core M laptops that have been released recently, there could be a 2nd USB C port.

Look around online/ebay etc, there are some really good deals to be found. Just stay safe and make sure you check serial/warranty/stolen etc.

I transitioned from a rMBP 13 and MBA 11, still getting used to the keyboard but My God am I amazed by what this thin tiny thing can do! Battery life is on par with MBA 11, which is great as its lighter, almost the same in terms of power and the screen blows everything away, even my 13 rMBP. Colours come to life on it!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mw0103 Avatar
122 months ago
I don't know how anyone could possibly justify buying one of these over an Air. It defies logic.
I don't know how anyone could possibly justify buying an Air over one of these. It defies logic.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)