I’ve noticed over the past year or so that m4 iPads are not ever available in Apple’s refurb store. Unlike say macs which come after a few months on the refurb store, the iPad Pros specifically have not. Some retailers have had the M4 iPads on a big discount (like Costco) but you just don’t see those with big discounts even after the M5’s came out. This is purely out of interest, is there a reason why?
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iPad Pro Why doesn’t Apple sell m4 iPads refurb?
- Thread starter TorontoSS
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Unlike Macs, Apple never sells current generation iPads or iPhones as refurbs, and there's generally a quite significant delay between a new model releasing and the old one becoming available. That's always been the case AFAIK, I can only assume it's about demand management.
this is not true - at least in europe the current generation appears some times. got my M4 iPP like that. As other pointed out, it is a question of returns in whatever form/for whatever reason.
From the username, going to guess OP is in Canada, so I'm not sure whether what Apple does or doesn't do in Europe is particularly relevant. It's also at least widely speculated Apple can shift unsold new inventory of a discontinued product over to refurbished with just a change of packaging. Perhaps collecting the inventory back in to be tested and repackaged and shipped back out is part of what's taking so long.
It's a combination of margin preservation and product positioning in each market.
Common sense would tell you if it's just a matter of return availability, we'd see units a few months immediately after new product launch. M4 iPad Pro and iPhone 16 would be in the refurb store a long time ago. Obviously, it's not a logistics constraint.
So what's the reason?
Apple positions the iPad Pro as a premium, secondary device. A 13-inch iPad Pro costs 60% more than 13-inch MacBook Air. This means buyers are price sensitive. They don't need to buy one. Refurbs just push down the price of new iPad Pros.
MacBook market is far more mature. Refurb Macs help convert Windows buyers rather than cannibalizing new MacBook sales. That's why Apple sells refurb Macs so quickly.
iPhone commands maximum price discipline. Sales are very price inelastic. People are very willing to pay to have the latest iPhone and that's why Apple only sells iPhone 15 as a refurb.
Common sense would tell you if it's just a matter of return availability, we'd see units a few months immediately after new product launch. M4 iPad Pro and iPhone 16 would be in the refurb store a long time ago. Obviously, it's not a logistics constraint.
So what's the reason?
Apple positions the iPad Pro as a premium, secondary device. A 13-inch iPad Pro costs 60% more than 13-inch MacBook Air. This means buyers are price sensitive. They don't need to buy one. Refurbs just push down the price of new iPad Pros.
MacBook market is far more mature. Refurb Macs help convert Windows buyers rather than cannibalizing new MacBook sales. That's why Apple sells refurb Macs so quickly.
iPhone commands maximum price discipline. Sales are very price inelastic. People are very willing to pay to have the latest iPhone and that's why Apple only sells iPhone 15 as a refurb.
thanks - i think that's what it is, because i always figured it can't just be returns because so many products get returned. i mean you just read these forums and you see how many iphones people return in the first few weeks of launch. this makes far more sense.
I wonder what happens with all of the returns apple gets then. But agree, it must be the positioning of the product.
iPhone sales also have a lot of corporate contracts. Some of which those contracts don’t get filled or phones have short term usage. I got my current 16 Pro from a carrier that was labeled as a refurb, but had zero battery cycles and was activated a few weeks before I got it. So some IT department at a company had too many phones ordered or whatever, but couldn’t sell them as new even though they were never used.
iPads, as mentioned above don’t have the same quantity of devices out there, even more so corporately, to be able to come back.
Op being in Canada, check openbox.ca.
iPads, as mentioned above don’t have the same quantity of devices out there, even more so corporately, to be able to come back.
Op being in Canada, check openbox.ca.
Much of the returns are probably kept by Apple for use as AppleCare replacements.
The excess units are probably sold to wholesalers locally and globally.