The resale value of Macbooks makes it a great choice

[Mdv2]

I always have friends telling me Macbooks are overpriced and it isn't worth the extra money. I got my first MacBook in 2008 and have stuck to Apple ever since for my laptops.

Currently, I am awaiting delivery of my 2020 MBP Pro and will be selling my current Late 2013 13" MBP once it arrives. This is the base model with upgraded memory (8gb), which I got for $1300 in 2013. I already put it online to get an idea of its resale value and I will be able to sell it for around $500 - which means the MBP cost me $800 over its lifetime.

Try selling a windows laptop after 6,5 years and you will probably not get this much for it, so yes - Apple products might come at a premium, but can recover this when reselling your device.

 

[bill-p]

Try selling a windows laptop after 6,5 years and you will probably not get this much for it

I'm primarily a Mac user but... I honestly think you are mistaken then. Have you seen used prices for high-end Sony Vaio laptops? Like the Vaio Z or Vaio Pro? Check eBay.

Let's just say you just gotta know which Windows laptops to buy.

But also, a Mac has insane depreciation, especially the higher-end models.

For instance, my 2018 13" 2 years ago cost me $2299 + $299 AppleCare + tax. That's easily $2800.

Now, I can probably sell the same thing for... guess what? $1300. It lost over $1500 in 2 years.

So I'd disagree that Apple devices are holding their values. That may be the case in the past, but it's not true anymore.

 

[Dhock_Holiday]

I got my 2017 13 MBP for around $2,200 and I just recently sold it on eBay for a whopping $900, still better than the $450 Apple wanted to throw my way for a trade in. Plus it had a fresh battery, keyboard and some AppleCare left over. Just depends on the luck of the draw, technology depreciates pretty quickly. Or I guess the lesson here is always buy the base model ?

 

[UbuntuFu]

I got my 2017 13 MBP for around $2,200 and I just recently sold it on eBay for a whopping $900, still better than the $450 Apple wanted to throw my way for a trade in. Plus it had a fresh battery, keyboard and some AppleCare left over. Just depends on the luck of the draw, technology depreciates pretty quickly. Or I guess the lesson here is always buy the base model 😂

In your case it's bad luck with the butterfly keyboards. If you had a 2015 Macbook Pro that still had magsafe and was port-rich I bet you could of sold in 2018 for a good amount.

 

[maerz001]

I'm primarily a Mac user but... I honestly think you are mistaken then. Have you seen used prices for high-end Sony Vaio laptops? Like the Vaio Z or Vaio Pro? Check eBay.

Let's just say you just gotta know which Windows laptops to buy.

But also, a Mac has insane depreciation, especially the higher-end models.

For instance, my 2018 13" 2 years ago cost me $2299 + $299 AppleCare + tax. That's easily $2800.

Now, I can probably sell the same thing for... guess what? $1300. It lost over $1500 in 2 years.

So I'd disagree that Apple devices are holding their values. That may be the case in the past, but it's not true anymore.

2300+300=2600 and apple care is not really part of the product price. After 3 years its worthless.

So u lost 1000 in 2 years. Which is 40% of the price. Thats fine.

apple or even most products lose more in the beginning and than be more stable.

Thats why i buy my iphones and macs used

 

[lgn95]

I only agree for the pre-butterfly models.
Bought my rMBP 13“ Mid 2014, base version, for around 1300 in 2014 and sold in in late 2018 for around 600, after 4 years of intensive use (and some scratches, some dents, a lot of battery cycles). I was quite happy with that price.

When I sold my rMBP 15“ Mid 2018 BTO in very good condition, which cost me 3700 in late 2018, I barely got more than 2000 for it earlier this year. Thanks to the keyboard and lower storage upgrade prices I guess.

 

[ilikewhey]

I always have friends telling me Macbooks are overpriced and it isn't worth the extra money. I got my first MacBook in 2008 and have stuck to Apple ever since for my laptops.

Currently, I am awaiting delivery of my 2020 MBP Pro and will be selling my current Late 2013 13" MBP once it arrives. This is the base model with upgraded memory (8gb), which I got for $1300 in 2013. I already put it online to get an idea of its resale value and I will be able to sell it for around $500 - which means the MBP cost me $800 over its lifetime.

Try selling a windows laptop after 6,5 years and you will probably not get this much for it, so yes - Apple products might come at a premium, but can recover this when reselling your device.

you could potentially get a good resale value, but its not definite, it worked out for your case but on the whole mac don't really retain their value like before. there are $4k+ i9 mbp 15 2018 going for less than 2k, and these sellers still struggle to find a buyer.

i bought my brother a 2018 15inch mbp that msrp for $3k plus for 2k last year, it lost around 1300-1400 dollars in value in less than a year.

 

[eckt0]

In my experience, to get the highest resale value relative to your initial purchase,

• Buy the base model. No upgrades.
• Don't buy AppleCare.
• Sell before major outward hardware changes.

For the first point, people on the second hand market want to save money. You will be competing against other base models being sold, even if yours isn't. To make matters worse, Apple usually charges a premium for those upgraded features. Upgrades here aren't a good resale return.

For the second point, AppleCare just isn't a selling point to most people. Additionally, hardware usually fails within its first year which is covered by the free manufacturer's warranty.

For the final point, and this usually isn't as big a deal with Apple products, but once there is an overhaul to the outward facing hardware, the product just "feels" more dated than it is. This will attract less people.

If you can get around these points, in my experience, you can usually resell Apple products, not just MacBooks, for at least three-quarters what you paid, even a few years out.

 

[Plutonius]

I always have friends telling me Macbooks are overpriced and it isn't worth the extra money. I got my first MacBook in 2008 and have stuck to Apple ever since for my laptops.

Currently, I am awaiting delivery of my 2020 MBP Pro and will be selling my current Late 2013 13" MBP once it arrives. This is the base model with upgraded memory (8gb), which I got for $1300 in 2013. I already put it online to get an idea of its resale value and I will be able to sell it for around $500 - which means the MBP cost me $800 over its lifetime.

Try selling a windows laptop after 6,5 years and you will probably not get this much for it, so yes - Apple products might come at a premium, but can recover this when reselling your device.

It depends on the year of the Mac and model.

People who have a 2016 - 2018 MacBook Pro would most likely have difficulty in selling since the machines had so many issues.

 

[sakagura]

I always have friends telling me Macbooks are overpriced and it isn't worth the extra money. I got my first MacBook in 2008 and have stuck to Apple ever since for my laptops.

Currently, I am awaiting delivery of my 2020 MBP Pro and will be selling my current Late 2013 13" MBP once it arrives. This is the base model with upgraded memory (8gb), which I got for $1300 in 2013. I already put it online to get an idea of its resale value and I will be able to sell it for around $500 - which means the MBP cost me $800 over its lifetime.

Try selling a windows laptop after 6,5 years and you will probably not get this much for it, so yes - Apple products might come at a premium, but can recover this when reselling your device.

This isn't the case anymore because the memory and storage is soldered to the machine. You sell it in 6.5 years to who? By then your 16GB RAM MacBook doesn't have enough memory to run much. Your 1TB SSD is maybe enough. Even macOS updates are more limited, quickly they dump older hardware, quickly they break older systems. It's broken even on newer systems. Look how many threads about popping sounds and bad magic kernel panics.

On Windows laptops the memory and SSD upgrades are available. Some can even have easy access to swapping the CPU. Many have a better GPU that is more future proof. Windows is more performant with its better graphics drivers. Windows support for older systems is realllllly really long.

Am sorry, but you are just plain living in the past. Macs aren't iconic anymore. They became just a dull unupgradable slab with slow graphics.
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It depends on the year of the Mac and model.

People who have a 2016 - 2018 MacBook Pro would most likely have difficulty in selling since the machines had so many issues.

Very true. I had problem selling the 2016 model because the haptic trackpad was stiff. Customer wanted another 10% discount. I can't sell my 2018 model because the body is warping from the heat inside. It's f'd and I will have to give it to someone as a gift.

Best selling used Macs are 2012-2015 models because they are solid machines with reliable keyboard and upgradable storage. Newer models are in less demand prices drop quickly because of the faulty designs. The only problem if you buy an old laptop is they don't support a 4K external monitor @ 60hz. That's true for any Mac or PC obvs.

 

[Mdv2]

This isn't the case anymore because the memory and storage is soldered to the machine. You sell it in 6.5 years to who?

As stated, I put it online and got lots of responses. Then again, I am in the Middle East and there are plenty of (foreign) people out here who can't afford buying a new device, so yes, 2nd hand market is booming.

 

[Plutonius]

As stated, I put it online and got lots of responses. Then again, I am in the Middle East and there are plenty of (foreign) people out here who can't afford buying a new device, so yes, 2nd hand market is booming.

One reason your MacBook Pro is in demand is because it's from late 2013.

Any MacBook Pro after 2015 is not economical to repair after the warranty runs out. For even the simplest repairs, a large portion of the MacBook Pro is completely replaced at a very high cost to the owner.

I believe that you could probably get a good resale value for the 2020 16" MacBook Pro but only when it's under warranty / Apple Care.

The old days of holding a MacBook Pro for 6 years, no longer exist.

The 2020 16" MacBook Pro is an excellent laptop but you should probably assume that is will need to be replaced before the warranty ends (i.e. you don't want to own it out of warranty).

 

[Christopher Kim]

In my experience, to get the highest resale value relative to your initial purchase,

• Buy the base model. No upgrades.
• Don't buy AppleCare.
• Sell before major outward hardware changes.

On your first point, definitely agree that if you're looking at "% loss", then you'll have a much bigger % loss on the "upgrade part" than not. Upgrades like bigger HD / bigger RAM (in that order) probably have less % loss than things like upgraded CPU.

It's like the stainless steel versions of the Apple Watches, or 1TB iPP's - they have a bad resale value (on % basis vs what you paid for it new) because buyers on secondary market are looking for a deal (and will often compare to currently available new base model). + it decreases your buyer universe for ppl who care about / value those upgrades.

So I'd think if it's likely you'll be selling your MBP in a few years (and not keeping for 5-6yrs+), then probably worth thinking about which upgrades you include. Although I would think your own use case and needs should still be the primary factor in what you buy, with secondary value a lower (but non-zero) consideration.

 

[jbachandouris]

So you consider getting $500 for your MBP a good deal? Ok....

I guess it's better than PC resale value.

 

[Mdv2]

So you consider getting $500 for your MBP a good deal? Ok....

I guess it's better than PC resale value.

$500 for a device that cost me $1300 6,5 years ago? Yes, I call that a good deal.

 

[coffeeplease]

It appears to have higher resale value, but it seems kinda difficult to sell at the prices you see on eBay. I've been trying to sell my 2015 MBP for the past week with no dice. Only got contacted by two scammers and one low ball offer.

 

[Mdv2]

It appears to have higher resale value, but it seems kinda difficult to sell at the prices you see on eBay. I've been trying to sell my 2015 MBP for the past week with no dice. Only got contacted by two scammers and one low ball offer.

Again, it might differ from market to market. I will have no issues selling it here in the UAE.

 

[IngerMan]

I was going to trade in my 2017 15” 2.9 16/512 To Apple for $990 4 weeks back. I paid a discounted price from BH almost a few years back of $1900.

then the new 13” MBP came out and suddenly my new trade in dropped to $800 from Apple. I searched around and found buybacktronics offered $920, so checks in the mail.

I agree they hold value much better then a window laptop ?‍? ?

 

[maflynn]

Apple products might come at a premium, but can recover this when reselling your device.

Food for thought:

I bought a Thinkpad X1 Extreme for 2200 dollars - its current market value is between 1,100 and 1,600 (eBay). A similarly based MBP would have cost me about 4,400 dollars and its market value is in the 1,800 to 2,800 range (eBay is all over the place it seems)

If you take the most a generous outlook, your net expense would be about 1,600 for the MBP (4,400 - 2,800). The thinkpad's net expense (2,200 - 1,600) is 600. Seems like the Thinkpad is a better deal up front, better resale and thus makes it a great choice ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


Buying a specific computer because of ROI isn't always the best, and I choose the tool that best fits me needs and not what I can get in the future, because you never know what the future brings.

 

[lobo1978]

current market value is between 1,100 and 1,600 (eBay)

For sake of argument as there are no objective winners here. Only subjective satisfaction counts.

X1 extreme is still new and niche computer. Please try sell it when it is 5-6 years old.

Used Thinkpads like T480s sell in my country for 300-400 USD. Brand new this is 2000+ USD laptop (!). Lenovo price drops are whopping even when offering brand new model (nobody pays “shelf price”) thus initial value is inflated.

Apple has different business model - keep price “constant” +- 10% (maybe 20% when combined with other bonuses). Apple certified refurbished is better value for sure.

I fully agree that ROI is not important if you buy tool to ease your workload. Laptop is not investment it is expense with 3 years depreciation value.

 

[sundialsoft]

it's very easy to sell used Macbooks. My MBA 2015 just sold and a few months ago my 2013 MBP sold. Both on eBay and both very quickly.

 

[maflynn]

Laptop is not investment it is expense with 3 years depreciation value.

Agreed

For sake of argument as there are no objective winners here. Only subjective satisfaction counts.

Yup, but the OP was making a case that you'll recover much of your money by reselling your MBP and that's not possible with windows machines. I provided my experience, though I'm not selling my Thinkpad.

I've long said get the best tool for your tasks, and if that's a Mac, buy it, if that's a PC get that. Don't buy a machine to resell or select it simply because of a possible future resale value

 

[puggles]

Just sold my base 15” 2015 for $950. I paid $1500 for it refurbished at the beginning of 2016...not bad!

 

[matram]

I bought a Thinkpad X1 Extreme for 2200 dollars - its current market value is between 1,100 and 1,600 (eBay). A similarly based MBP would have cost me about 4,400 dollars and its market value is in the 1,800 to 2,800 range (eBay is all over the place it seems)

Interesting, in Sweden today ...
MBP 16”, i9 8-core 2.3 GHz, 16 GB, 1 TB with AMD 5500M 4 GB — 34 999 SEK or 3 627 USD
X1 Carbon Gen 8, i7 4-core 1.8 GHz, 16 GB, 1 TB with Intel integrated graphics — 33 339 SEK or 3 453 USD

The MBP is 174 USD more but you get
- 16” screen instead of 14”
- 8-core i9 instead of i7
- dedicated graphics

 

[nick42983]

An old thread but just thought I'd add my two cents a few years removed. In general Macbooks have better resale value than PCs (theres a much bigger market for laptops since they're more portable/accessible than desktops) but I think the pre-2020-21 Apple Silicon market was strongly affected by the butterfly keyboard and Intel overheating problems, making earlier models more desirable. I recently bought a M1 Pro MBP after patiently waiting out the problems Apple caused for itself with the Touchbar and keyboard. As a testament to the longevity and durability of Apple's pre-2016 machines, I ran my 2013 Haswell MacBook Air until 2020 (OS didn't want to update even though it was compatible) and then a 2015 MBP which I am still using as a desktop permanently attached to an external 4k monitor while I get used to the M1 Pro.

I'll be interested to see how the Apple Silicon Macbook market fares in the coming few years, especially once the 3nm chips are introduced and much-anticipated improvements like Face ID and Center Stage str introduced (so far just Touch ID has been great instead of having to constantly input passwords, even better than the extra few steps that Keychain or 1Password take).