Refurbished 2023 MacBooks Pros are already available from Apple — what you need to know

MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023
(Image credit: Future)

If you’re looking for one of the latest MacBook Pros for slightly less money, then you’re in luck. Despite launching at the start of this year, Apple is already selling refurbished 2023 MacBook Pros on its website. 

Currently a wide range of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, powered by the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, are available to purchase. Discounts vary, but you’re going to save around 15% compared to buying a brand new model. 

A Silver 14-inch MacBook Pro 2023 powered by a 10-core M2 Pro with 16-core GPU would normally cost you $1,999 — but Apple is selling a refurbished model for $1,699. That's a $300 saving, or 15% off the normal price. Meanwhile a 16-inch model with a 12-core M2 Pro and 19-core GPU would normally cost you $2,699. A refurbished model is $2,289, which is a $410 discount — or roughly 15.2%.

Which isn’t bad going for devices that are, at most, four months old. 

Refurbished MacBook Pros: How much you can save

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0 Normal priceRefurbished priceSaving
14-inch: M2 Pro with 10-core CPU & 16-core GPU$1,999$1,699$300 (15%)
14-inch: M2 Pro with 12-core CPU & 19-core GPU$2,499$2,119$380 (12%)
14-inch: M2 Max with 12-core CPU & 30-core GPU$3,099$2,629$470 (15.1)
16-inch: M2 Pro with 12-core CPU & 19-core GPU$2,699$2,289$410 (15.2%)
16-inch: M2 Max with 12-core CPU & 38-core GPU$3,499$2,969$530 (15.1%)

While refurbished models aren’t quite the same as brand new, buying a refurbished MacBook Pro from Apple is the closest you’ll get. The company tests and inspects each device to make sure they’re working perfectly, and repackages them to sell with a one year limited warranty. The refurbished devices are also eligible for AppleCare Plus, if you pay for it, so you can be covered no matter what goes wrong.

In other words, there’s very little to lose by buying a refurbished MacBook Pro directly from Apple. Certainly compared to other retailers, who can’t offer quite the same level of care.

The benefits of a 2023 MacBook Pro

The 2023 MacBook Pros are, by far, the best MacBooks Apple has produced to date. Not only do the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips offer stellar performance, both the 16-inch and 14-inch models offer absolutely superb battery life.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro 2023 with an M2 Max almost reached 19 hours, while the 14-inch MacBook Pro 2023 hit 14 hours with the M2 Pro and just under 13 hours with the M2 Max. Which are absolutely phenomenal figures.

Then you have the wide selection of ports, mini-LED display, and the same general sleek, stylish design MacBooks are known for. The upgrades are fairly incremental compared to the 2021 models, but those also don't come with the latest M2-series chips. 

The only real downside is that the 2023 MacBook Pros cost an absolute fortune, and may be out of most peoples’ price range. Which is pretty typical for Apple, especially the high-end Macs. The refurbished models may not reduce the price by a huge amount, but it’s still an impressive discount for such new, and high-performance devices. 

Plus every dollar you save is a dollar you can spend on something else important. So if you had your heart set on a brand new MacBook Pro, it’s worth thinking about opting for a refurbished model.

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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.