iPads are among the most popular products in Apple’s Black Friday deals every year, but even with discounts, the best iPads are expensive devices.
However, I’ve been following the Black Friday sales for years, and this year I’ve noticed a big change when it comes to iPads: Refurbished tech products, and especially refurbished iPads, are getting even bigger discounts than usual.
What does “renewed” mean?
Refurbished technology refers to devices that have been repaired by professionals. Experts keep it running at a high level, sometimes performing tests or replacing parts, although the exact process varies from dealer to dealer. This is not the same as used technology, which is often sold without these (or other) warranties.
I bought my refurbished iPad for one main reason: it costs less than buying a brand new model. I bought it from Apple Home Improvement StoreSo I could be sure it would be of a high standard, and it was. If you gave me a new iPad with a refurbished Apple model, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. The packaging was also very similar and subconsciously told me: “This is not a cheap remnant, but a fully functional tablet.” »
There are even more reasons why people choose to buy a refurbished car. The main reason is the environmental aspect. There is no denying that we are facing an e-waste crisis. World Health Organization Electronic products represent one of the fastest growing waste streams. And by keeping a device in circulation, you prevent it from ending up in the landfill and also prevent you from using more rare earths in the new device you might buy.
These are the main reasons to buy a refurbished device, but I’ll mention two more that are just as relevant to some people. First, buying refurbished equipment gives you the opportunity to buy older equipment that a manufacturer no longer sells. For example, if you want to buy a next-generation iPad, Apple and major retailers may not have one, but refurbished units come to the rescue.
Second, and perhaps more anecdotally, I see great deals on refurbished appliances. While 10% off an iPad on Black Friday is often considered a significant discount, I’m used to seeing much bigger discounts on refurbished models (and that’s a discount on the already lower price).
Three years with iPad
I have been working on the renovation for three years; It concerned a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2021). So when I bought it in late 2022 it wasn’t part of the latest range. I didn’t mind it being older because I used one of the 2018 TechRadar models for years with no problems, but even the 2022 model was too new to restore.
Honestly, I’ve never looked back. Three years later, the battery is still holding up better than ever (admittedly, that’s not saying much considering the iPad’s poor battery life), which was the biggest concern I had when buying a refurbished device. I’ve never had a problem with it and use it almost daily for various tasks (aside from recently releasing it for an e-reader).
It even works much better than the peripherals I bought with it, since the new Apple Pencil I bought around the same time broke a year ago. I’ve already documented my attempt to find a cheap counterfeit iPad stylus, although I recently noticed that Apple also sells remanufactured styluses.
I’m also glad I bought an iPad when I did: the newer Pro models are packed with specs I don’t need (why do I need an M5 chip in a device I use for drawing and writing?), and I can bypass Apple’s emphasis on unnecessary AI features by simply not upgrading my iPad.
The new wave of renovations
The Apple Watch 10 is another device I expect to see big Black Friday discounts on this year.
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about this remodeling purchase for TechRadar; I praised it a few years ago to encourage people to follow in my footsteps. But since then I have noticed changes in the renovation market.
When I started writing about refurbished technology and bought my iPad, I really had to look for resellers. Back Market was the only big company I knew, but it hadn’t started marketing itself as vigorously as it does now (which was probably a good thing; their simple YouTube ads haunt me).
I only heard about Apple’s range of refurbished products through a friend, and without that mention I would never have considered buying from the company. Back then, major retailers didn’t offer refurbished units, and that was a minor problem, even for someone writing for a tech site!
Nowadays, it is very easy to search for new and used appliances on the website of the store of your choice. When I wrote about the first Black Friday deals of the year, I was surprised by the number of refurbished tech products I discovered. These days it’s not just about iPads and smartphones; I was very tempted to buy one of the many Black Friday PS5 deals and you can also find laptops, headsets, home hubs and even printers.
And this is good across the board: cheaper technology, greener purchases.
Where you can find good deals on refurbished products
Like I said, I’ve seen some good deals on refurbished products so far, and more will come and go as Black Friday approaches. They don’t always last long; Refurbished models naturally have a lower inventory than new models.
So instead of listing specific deals, I’ll show you some places to look for up-to-date technology. I will also list the benefits of buying each repackaged program, which is often important.