Refurbished Apple Pencil

Yes, refurbished Apple products come with a warranty. Unlike used devices sold on classified sites, refurbished products are backed by a professional warranty. The specific terms vary by refurbisher, but every product listed on RefurbMe comes with at least a 30-day warranty.

Warranty terms change over time and vary by product, so treat these as a guide and check the live listing. For the full, current list, compare warranty policies across all refurbishers on RefurbMe.

A refurbished warranty typically covers hardware defects and malfunctions:

• Battery, screen, and logic board failures
• Speaker, camera, and microphone issues
• Connectivity problems (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular)

It does not cover accidental damage (drops, spills) or cosmetic wear consistent with the device's grade. For details, see what a refurbished warranty covers.

Yes. If you buy from the Apple Refurbished Store, you can add AppleCare+ for the same price as a new device. Several third-party sellers also offer optional warranty extensions at checkout. You can also consider third-party insurance for broader coverage including accidental damage.

RefurbMe is totally free to use. You can browse, compare, and set up alerts for refurbished Apple products without paying anything.

Everything you do on RefurbMe is free:

• Browsing and comparing refurbished product listings across multiple sellers.
• Setting up product alerts to get notified when a specific product drops in price or comes back in stock.
• Reading our help center and blog for guides on buying refurbished Apple products.
• Accessing price history and seller comparisons to make an informed decision.

There are no premium tiers, subscriptions, or hidden fees.

RefurbMe earns revenue through affiliate marketing partnerships with refurbishers. When you click through to a seller's website and complete a purchase, RefurbMe receives a small commission from that merchant. This commission is paid by the seller and does not increase the price you pay.

You can learn more about this in our article on RefurbMe's business model.

• We do not sell or share your email address.
• We do not store any payment information. Your purchase is completed directly on the refurbisher's website.
• There are no sign-up fees, and creating an account to manage alerts is optional and free.

Refurbished means a product has been professionally inspected, repaired if needed, and restored to full working condition before being resold. A refurbished device was either pre-owned, returned during a trial period, or used as a display model. Unlike used products, refurbished items go through a structured process that ensures they work like new, and they come with a warranty.

Across every iPhone RefurbMe has tracked, the median refurbished price sits about 80% below the original Apple launch price (as of July 2026). That figure spans years of older models, so a current model saves less and a legacy one more, but it shows how far refurbished pricing can fall under new. Source: RefurbMe iPhone stats.

Every refurbished device goes through a multi-step process before it reaches you:

Yes, in practice. These labels all describe a pre-owned device that was inspected, repaired, and resold; the word choice depends on the seller. What actually varies is the warranty, the cosmetic grade, and who did the work, so check those three things rather than the label.

The label also depends on who did the work: Apple refurbishes its own devices, while independent sellers run their own programs. Learn the difference between manufacturer refurbished and seller refurbished.

Refurbished products are sold by professional refurbishers, and you can expect:

• A warranty (typically 12 months, sometimes extendable).
• A return policy (usually 14 to 30 days).
• A lower price than buying the same model new, with the gap widening as models age.
• All previous user data wiped clean.
• A device that is 100% functional.

These three labels are easy to confuse, but they mean different things. A used product is sold as-is with no testing and no warranty. An open-box product was returned unused, so it is essentially new but no longer sealed. A refurbished product sits in between: it was professionally tested and repaired, then backed by a warranty.

Learn more about the difference between used and refurbished.

Refurbished Apple products come from two sources:

• Manufacturer refurbished (Apple Store). Apple refurbishes its own returned and defective products. These are sold in Excellent condition only with new batteries and original accessories. Learn more about what manufacturer refurbished means.
• Third-party refurbishers. Independent sellers like Back Market, Amazon Renewed, and others source, inspect, and resell devices. They offer a wider range of cosmetic grades and often deeper discounts.

You can compare refurbishers on RefurbMe to find the best deal across all sellers.

Buying refurbished lets you get a fully functional Apple product at a fraction of the retail price. It also helps reduce electronic waste by giving devices a second life instead of sending them to landfill.

The two real differences between a new and a refurbished Apple product are price and cosmetic condition. A refurbished device costs meaningfully less than new, and it may show light cosmetic wear depending on its grade. Everything else is the same: refurbished products are 100% functional, pass the same hardware and software tests, and come with a warranty.

Refurbished pricing varies by model and condition. Across every iPhone RefurbMe has tracked, the median refurbished price sits about 80% below the original Apple launch price (as of July 2026), a figure skewed by older models. A current-generation model saves less, but the discount is always real. Source: RefurbMe iPhone stats.

It depends on the grade you pick. A refurbished device is thoroughly cleaned, so this concerns appearance only. You choose from Grade A (Excellent), Grade B (Good), or Grade C (Fair). Grade A looks essentially new, while lower grades trade visible wear for a lower price.

For everyday use, yes. A refurbished device is tested against the same standards as a new one, and any faulty part is repaired or replaced before resale. If your new Apple device breaks and Apple gives you a replacement, you are getting a refurbished device: Apple refurbishes its own products and classes them as Excellent (Grade A).

For a deeper breakdown, read our guide on refurbished vs new vs used Apple devices.

Buying refurbished Apple products is one of the most impactful choices you can make as a consumer to reduce your environmental footprint. Every refurbished device that finds a new owner is one less device manufactured from scratch and one less device in a landfill.

Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams worldwide. By choosing refurbished, you directly help reduce e-waste:

• Over 50 million metric tons of e-waste are generated globally each year, and only a fraction is properly recycled.
• A single smartphone contains dozens of rare earth minerals, heavy metals, and plastics that can leach into soil and water when improperly disposed of.
• Buying refurbished extends the useful life of an existing device by 2-5 years, keeping it out of the waste stream.

Manufacturing a new device is the most carbon-intensive part of its lifecycle. When you buy refurbished, you skip that step entirely:

• Producing a new iPhone generates roughly 70-80 kg of CO2. Refurbishing an existing one produces a fraction of that.
• A new MacBook generates approximately 200-400 kg of CO2 during manufacturing. Buying refurbished avoids nearly all of that footprint.
• Refurbished products also save water, rare minerals, and energy that go into producing new devices.

The circular economy keeps products in use as long as possible rather than following a "make, use, dispose" pattern. Refurbished products are professionally inspected, repaired, and restored to full working condition, complete with a warranty and return policy. Every refurbished purchase signals demand for sustainable alternatives, encouraging more sellers to invest in refurbishment.

For a deeper look at the environmental benefits, read our guide on the environmental impact of buying refurbished Apple products.

The right to repair movement is pushing for laws that make it easier for consumers and independent shops to repair electronics rather than replace them. This directly supports the refurbished market by ensuring devices can be restored and resold. We wrote a full piece about it and why it matters.

Every refurbished purchase counts. By choosing a refurbished iPhone, MacBook, or iPad instead of buying new, you are directly reducing demand for raw materials and keeping a perfectly good device in circulation. You can compare refurbished Apple products across dozens of sellers to find the right device at the right price.