Every Apple fan is well aware of the fact that deals on this high-end tech can be scarce sometimes. Apple gadgets tend to be relatively pricey and the company keeps a pretty short leash on its pricing across various retailers, so if you can’t find a worthy bargain at your usual shopping spots, then it might be time to start thinking outside the box. One option is to buy refurbished, and if you know how to do it right, it’s a great way to save money on big-ticket items like iPhones and MacBooks.
Another place to look is eBay: While not a traditional retailer like Best Buy or Amazon, this auction site has some surprisingly good Apple deals available year-round and regularly hosts sales events — and right now, eBay is running a sale on all sorts of new and manufacturer-refurbished Apple goodies with discounts of up to 50%. We’ve picked out our favorites and rounded them up below, and also be sure to head over to the sale page to see everything that’s on offer.
Apple Watch Series 4 (44mm, GPS + Cellular) — $290, was $530
Apple holds the distinction of making the only truly successful smartwatch in a new product niche that never quite lived up to the initial hype. In fact, the Apple Watch proved so popular that sales even outpaced the entire Swiss watch industry, making Apple one of the biggest watchmakers in the world. This WatchOS wearable is now in its sixth generation, and the Apple Watch Series 4 (which is actually the fifth-gen model due to a quirky naming convention) is a great buy right now. This professionally refurbished 44mm smartwatch features both GPS and 4G LTE connectivity, meaning you can sync it with your cellular network, and is on sale right now for just $290 — down a whopping $240 from its $530 sticker price.
Apple iPad Pro 64GB 10.5-inch (2017) — $410, was $649
The iPad Pro has long been the cream of the Apple tablet crop — and by far the most expensive. That said, you can score last-gen models like the second-generation iPad Pro for about the same price as the iPad Air or iPad Mini. This 2017 iPad Pro packs a gorgeous 10.5-inch Retina touch display, great hardware, and all of Apple’s world-class build quality, making it a fantastic buy in 2020 compared to the (much more expensive) 2018 and 2020 iPad Pros which cost twice as much or more. You can score this professionally refurbished one for $410 at the moment, saving $239 off of its normal price.
Apple iPhone XR 64GB (Factory Unlocked) — $420, was $750
Apple has recently been releasing some more budget-friendly devices in its iPhone stable, and the iPhone XR was its “flagship alternative” for 2018. Don’t let the price tag fool you, though; our review team stated that the iPhone XR was arguably the best device of that generation and was the iPhone to buy for most people owing to its great design and excellent overall performance. In the wake of the iPhone 11 release, the iPhone XR is even cheaper than before, especially if you score a deal like this one: eBay has professionally refurbished factory unlocked models with 64GB of storage on sale for $420, saving you $330 off of its (already pretty reasonable) price of $750. It’s available in six different colors, too.
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch (2013) — $510, was $1,000
The MacBook Pro might be the most expensive of all the devices in Apple’s lineup, but this also gives you the chance to score the biggest savings if you buy last-gen and refurbished models. If you don’t need to most bleeding-edge hardware, then this 2013 MacBook Pro gives you plenty of laptop for the price: It’s got an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive, and its 13.3-inch Retina screen boasts a crisp resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, which is still fantastic by today’s standards (Apple has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to display technology). A very nice $490 discount lets you grab this MacBook Pro for $510 — almost 50% off. Better still, this 2013 MacBook is recertified by Apple, which is the best way to go when buying refurbished.
