2015 MacBook Pros have returned to the Apple Refurbished Store

[Zdigital2015]

For those in the market for a 2015 15” MacBook Pro, a broad range has returned to the Apple Refurbished Store.

https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac/2015-2018-13-inch-15-inch-macbook-pro

Hard to believe Apple is getting $2459 for a decked out 2015, but it’s there for the discerning buyer!

 

[Zen_Arcade]

I saw the 2.8/390/1TB for $2213; then realized a 2018 2.6/16/560x/1TB is $2366 . . .

 

[Zdigital2015]

I saw the 2.8/390/1TB for $2213; then realized a 2018 2.6/16/560x/1TB is $2366 . . .

I think there is still a sizable contingent of those who despise the current gen and want the 2015. Apple refurbs are the best bet, IMHO. Plus you have 14 days to decide and you can still pick up AppleCare. I buy quite a few refurbs and have never had an issue with them.

I really like my 2016 and have had almost no problems with the keyboard, so this is a bit of public service

 

[Zen_Arcade]

I think there is still a sizable contingent of those who despise the current gen and want the 2015. Apple refurbs are the best bet, IMHO. Plus you have 14 days to decide and you can still pick up AppleCare. I buy quite a few refurbs and have never had an issue with them.

I really like my 2016 and have had almost no problems with the keyboard, so this is a bit of public service

Yep, I prefer the keyboard of the 2015 and earlier; had uncountable problems with the 2016-2017 versions (the key mechanisms would warp from the heat of the CPU and GPU running 100%). The 2019 appears to be free of that problem so far.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Yep, I prefer the keyboard of the 2015 and earlier; had uncountable problems with the 2016-2017 versions (the key mechanisms would warp from the heat of the CPU and GPU running 100%). The 2019 appears to be free of that problem so far.

For me the 2015 keyboard is too wobbly...the keys don’t feel solid enough, the flip side is that I can restart typing and achieve a really good speed after something requiring taking hands off the keyboard as that wobbliness means I have some margin for fat fingering. The 2016 has a nice firm feel and the low travel doesn’t bother me, except when I get out of rhythm, I then find it hard getting back into that really quick rhythm for a period of time as less than accurate strikes are unforgivable. Also, long typing sessions are a bit fatiguing. It’s too flat and just a tad too stiff after 4 or 5 hours of typing.

Hands down though (sorry, bad pun) my favorite keyboard is the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad. I bought the silver version the day it was released (WWDC 2017), and it has been great. Recently got the Space Grey version and I swear it’s an even better feel. Really hope Apple reengineers the MacBook Pro with the Magic Keyboard scissors mechanism and ditches the butterfly mechanism. The extra thickness to do that is not really an issue for most. The comfort and probable increase in reliability would be worth any thickness or weight gain.

I honestly hope someone at Apple reads and takes this to heart. I like the thinness of the 15” MacBook Pro, but the keyboard could be miles better and the CPU heat sink they use look like it conducts about as much heat as a Hot Pockets sleeve. The TouchBar can stay, but that TrackPad needs to be about 20% smaller.

Sorry, I really digressed there.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I think there is still a sizable contingent of those who despise the current gen and want the 2015. Apple refurbs are the best bet, IMHO. Plus you have 14 days to decide and you can still pick up AppleCare. I buy quite a few refurbs and have never had an issue with them.

This is a good point. This means you could have a 2015 MBP with AC expiring in 2022. That's pretty darn great.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I saw the 2.8/390/1TB for $2213; then realized a 2018 2.6/16/560x/1TB is $2366 . . .

Sad as even Apple knows the 2015 is worth close to the 2018.

 

[LogicalApex]

I saw the 2.8/390/1TB for $2213; then realized a 2018 2.6/16/560x/1TB is $2366 . . .

Those prices are insane to me for the 2015. It is 4 year old tech...

If the new models were that much of a concern for me I'd swap brands before I paid that much money from 4 year old tech.

 

[Flabasha]

I saw the 2.8/390/1TB for $2213; then realized a 2018 2.6/16/560x/1TB is $2366 . . .

That's a close call. The 2015 is way better in many regards (IMO), but you do get TB3 on the 2018. All in all, I'd probably still opt for the 2015, which is beyond ridiculous to say, but there it is.

P.S. My loaded 2015 slid out of my backpack and cartwheeled across the concrete the other day. I was screaming in slow motion... with thoughts of having to buy a post-2016 model... but thank the heavens, she just got a few dents. I threw that backpack out for almost killing my precious.

 

[BigBoy2018]

Wow! Thanks for the heads up. I just bought the 2.5ghz i7 with the Radeon m370x 2gb video card. Did the barkleycard 18 month interest free. This will certainly be a more appealing machine to me (though somewhat slower) than what Apple spews out in the next couple years.

 

[pshufd]

I keep it in the back of my mind. I'd consider the max model if they dropped the price $400.

 

[maflynn]

There's no way that a 4 year old computer is worth the near 2k price range. Heck, I got a 2018 ThinkPad with 32GB/1GB/Nvidia GTX 1050i for a tad over 2k and yet Apple has the temerity to sell such a used, older computer for such a high priced.

 

[pshufd]

There's no way that a 4 year old computer is worth the near 2k price range. Heck, I got a 2018 ThinkPad with 32GB/1GB/Nvidia GTX 1050i for a tad over 2k and yet Apple has the temerity to sell such a used, older computer for such a high priced.

There is no way BEyond Meat is worth $155 a share yet many shares traded hands at that price yesterday. The price is where a willing buyer and seller reach agreement. When Apple has problems selling at these prices, they will lower the price.

 

[maflynn]

When Apple has problems selling at these prices

That's the sad part - people are willing to spend 2k for a 4 year old computer.

 

[pshufd]

That's the sad part - people are willing to spend 2k for a 4 year old computer.

It’s not sad, it’s simply a market.

 

[maflynn]

It’s not sad, it’s simply a market.

No, I disagree it is sad, it doesn't matter if its the market, it can be both.

We've see many people over the years howling and complaining that apple is falling behind and wanting the next chip set - yet when apple did update their computer, they instead choose to pay an exorbitant price for an older computer - and they're continuing to pay that high price. So much for apple quality on their recent models - people are willing to spend nearly 2k on a 4 year old USED computer because they have so little faith in the current model.

I will also say its corporate greed on apple's part, but that doesn't come as a surprise given they're charging a 1,000 for a monitor stand

 

[pshufd]

No, I disagree it is sad, it doesn't matter if its the market, it can be both.

We've see many people over the years howling and complaining that apple is falling behind and wanting the next chip set - yet when apple did update their computer, they instead choose to pay an exorbitant price for an older computer - and they're continuing to pay that high price. So much for apple quality on their recent models - people are willing to spend nearly 2k on a 4 year old USED computer because they have so little faith in the current model.

I will also say its corporate greed on apple's part, but that doesn't come as a surprise given they're charging a 1,000 for a monitor stand

Apple is a public company. There prime directive is to increase shareholder value. They have not been doing a good job of that in the Mac space lately.

The thing is that the 2015 MacBook Pro still performs better than probably 40% of 2019 laptop models. It's still quite the workhorse, even after four years. I was using my 2008 MacBook Pro up until summer 2018. It could still do a lot of work until the display died.

 

[GoldfishRT]

There’s a lot of things that are fine about the 2015 still but it’s really showing it’s age in some key ways.

Critically, I think many of those things are easy to look over for the right price. If across the line they dropped the refurbs about $400 I think they’d be fine. Heck I’d pay $1300 for the base one simply because I prefer the larger display.

But as it stands, you’re paying for a 15” laptop with the power of an ultraportable, but still paying work station prices for it and it’s also still a used product.

Ultimately if one isn’t happy with Apples current generation lineup I’d argue that buying a MacBook isn’t a great idea. L

 

[pshufd]

There’s a lot of things that are fine about the 2015 still but it’s really showing it’s age in some key ways.

Critically, I think many of those things are easy to look over for the right price. If across the line they dropped the refurbs about $400 I think they’d be fine. Heck I’d pay $1300 for the base one simply because I prefer the larger display.

But as it stands, you’re paying for a 15” laptop with the power of an ultraportable, but still paying work station prices for it and it’s also still a used product.

Ultimately if one isn’t happy with Apples current generation lineup I’d argue that buying a MacBook isn’t a great idea. L

Yes, which is why I would move some applications off of macOS to Windows with a mobile workstation if I had to. But there are still a lot of things that run great on macOS for me on this old hardware.

 

[Donnation]

There’s a lot of things that are fine about the 2015 still but it’s really showing it’s age in some key ways.

Critically, I think many of those things are easy to look over for the right price. If across the line they dropped the refurbs about $400 I think they’d be fine. Heck I’d pay $1300 for the base one simply because I prefer the larger display.

But as it stands, you’re paying for a 15” laptop with the power of an ultraportable, but still paying work station prices for it and it’s also still a used product.

Ultimately if one isn’t happy with Apples current generation lineup I’d argue that buying a MacBook isn’t a great idea. L

You are wrong here in one area. Apple’s refurbished models are indistinguishable from new. They are completely rebuilt and don’t have a mark, scratch, or imperfection on them. The entire casing is replaced and a new battery is put in the machine. Anything that was wrong with it has been fixed. Any imperfections in the laptop are replaced.

The only “used” part of their laptops is the fact that it says “refurbished” on the box. I rarely buy any laptops from Apple that don’t come from their refurbished store. They have the full one year warranty with the option of buying 2 additional years of Applecare.

 

[pshufd]

A local store has a 2.2 Ghz 2015 MBP 15 with 256 GB for $1K; includes a 1-year warranty. It looks like it is in excellent condition. Another store about 40 miles away has a 2.5 Ghz with 500 GB for $1,649 with a 1-year warranty, also in excellent shape. The more expensive one is in an upscale area. So there's a nice range of pricing for these old workhorses and it's absolutely possible to buy two for the price of 1 2019.

 

[BigBoy2018]

- people are willing to spend nearly 2k on a 4 year old USED computer because they have so little faith in the current model.

This was the nut for me. Do I want to spend $3500 on a new macbook pro thats faster, but that I will always worry is about to fail, or $2000 on a sufficiently fast 2015 macbook pro that is effectively ‘new’. Thats the part I’ll quibble with you on > I’ve always bought Apple refurb and they are always absolutely pristine and brand new batteries, etc. So while technically ‘used’ theyre nothing like what you may think of as used like if you were buying on craigslist or ebay or whatever.
[doublepost=1560369992][/doublepost]

You are wrong here in one area. Apple’s refurbished models are indistinguishable from new. They are completely rebuilt and don’t have a mark, scratch, or imperfection on them. The entire casing is replaced and a new battery is put in the machine. Anything that was wrong with it has been fixed. Any imperfections in the laptop are replaced.

The only “used” part of their laptops is the fact that it says “refurbished” on the box. I rarely buy any laptops from Apple that don’t come from their refurbished store. They have the full one year warranty with the option of buying 2 additional years of Applecare.

Agreed 100%. Apple refurbs are ‘used’ in name only.

Would I like for the prices to be a tad lower, sure! But to call them ‘used’ as if it means something horrible is misleading. That $1100 2015 macbook you see at the local electronics shop will have several dents, a grimey charger, and smell like cigarettes, and have a battery with 800 cycles on it.

 

[GoldfishRT]

I recall seeing more than one person on here complaining their 2015 refurb wasn't as new as they were expecting - chips and port wear and such.

In any case, I do get it - the 2015 was an awesome machine and presumably if they're still selling the refurb models they're going to be supported for at least another 3 years right?

If you don't care about best value for the money, it's fine.

 

[pshufd]

I recall seeing more than one person on here complaining their 2015 refurb wasn't as new as they were expecting - chips and port wear and such.

In any case, I do get it - the 2015 was an awesome machine and presumably if they're still selling the refurb models they're going to be supported for at least another 3 years right?

If you don't care about best value for the money, it's fine.

There are lots of sources for refurbs. My refurb was $1,123 and it has one corner dent. I think that it would have cost about $2,000 from Apple's refurb store. There are lots of stores in my area that sell refurbs and the prices vary widely. The thing that you get from a store as opposed to a private sale is that they looked at it and that you get a warranty, usually from 90 days to a year. I can live with cosmetic issues, especially since these things are old. I'd expect near perfection from the Apple Refurb Store.

 

[GoldfishRT]

I can live with cosmetic issues, especially since these things are old. I'd expect near perfection from the Apple Refurb Store.

I was specifically referring to the Apple refurbished store.