Apple began selling refurbished Mac Studio models last week, but inventory quickly sold out in the United States. For customers who missed out, refurbished Mac Studio models have now been restocked on Apple's online store while supplies last.
A wide range of refurbished Mac Studio models with the M1 Max or M1 Ultra chips are available, including custom configurations with upgraded specs. Pricing starts at $1,799 for the base model with an M1 Max chip (10-core CPU and 24-core GPU), 32GB of unified memory, and a 512GB SSD, compared to $1,999 for the equivalent brand new model.
In our view, refurbished Macs sold by Apple are virtually indistinguishable from brand new models, so this is a decent opportunity to secure a Mac Studio with a discount and faster delivery. Apple says every certified refurbished Mac is thoroughly cleaned, tested, and repackaged in a new box with a power cord and manuals.
Apple's refurbished products are covered by Apple's standard one-year warranty and 14-day return policy, and are eligible for AppleCare+ coverage. AppleCare+ for the Mac Studio is priced at $169 or $59.99 per year on a rolling basis.
Apple first released the Mac Studio in March 2022. On the back of the computer, connectivity options include four Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, one 10-Gigabit Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones. On the front, there is an SD card slot, along with two USB-C ports for M1 Max models or two Thunderbolt 4 ports for M1 Ultra models.
This post has been updated to reflect availability of additional refurbished Mac Studio configurations.
Top Rated Comments
Can you imagine how much less these devices would cost if Apple never had to worry about returns? I once heard that retail prices for consumer products are doubled to cover overhead from theft (shoplifting), and returns.
It's so much easier for someone who's never used a Mac before to buy one on a "trial basis" only to fall in love with it and become a reliable Apple consumer. Similarly, its much easier for sales reps (and even users themselves) to justify an upsell by telling them(selves) "Well if it ends up being more than needed it can always be returned or exchanged."
Also, given Apple's penchant for high margins (especially under Tim Cook,) I'm sure Apple's still making a healthy profit on these refurb units (even including the cost of return shipping, testing, refurbishing, repacking, etc.)
On the topic of margins, If Apple didn't do returns I'm pretty sure they'd just... pocket the extra money.