It's all because of AI.

This year, people buying Macs are generally feeling the pinch in their wallets.

In late June, Apple implemented a comprehensive round of price increases across its hardware product lines. Within Apple's pricing strategy in recent years, the scope and magnitude of this price hike are truly rare. Apple's reason is straightforward: rising storage costs.

What's more troublesome is that this wave of price increases isn't confined to Apple's official website. Subsidized prices on e-commerce platforms have also risen accordingly. Previously, MacBook Air models priced one or two thousand yuan cheaper than the official website could be found on platforms like Pinduoduo and JD.com. Now, these options have either disappeared or seen their discount margins significantly reduced.

Faced with this situation, some consumers are beginning to turn their attention to a previously less prominent channel: Apple's official refurbished machines. This trend is particularly evident on social media and Xiaohongshu, with a noticeable increase in discussion posts about whether Apple's official refurbished machines are worth buying.

(Image source: Apple)

Leitech (ID: leitech) has noticed that Apple has actually been selling official refurbished machines all along. There's an inconspicuous entrance at the bottom of the official website, leading to the 'Apple Certified Refurbished Products' section, which year-round (perennially) displays various refurbished Macs, iPads, Apple Watches, AirPods, HomePods, and other accessories. But frankly, the appeal of this section was previously quite limited.

Firstly, the discounts were generally modest. Apple's official refurbished machines are typically priced at around 15% off the original price, with some models reaching 20% off. Before the Mac price increases, a MacBook Air originally priced at 8,999 yuan would sell for around 7,649 yuan as a refurbished model, saving 1,350 yuan. That sounds decent, but the issue was that, at the time, brand-new machines on e-commerce platforms could often be found at prices even cheaper than the refurbished models.

Subsidies from JD.com, Pinduoduo's 10 billion yuan subsidy program, and even Apple's own education discounts could easily bring the price of a brand-new machine below that of a refurbished one. Consumers doing the math would realize that for a few hundred yuan more, or even for the same price, they could buy a brand-new machine. Why buy a refurbished one? The presence of official refurbished machines was thus overshadowed by the brutal price wars of brand-new machines.

Secondly, the SKUs were too few, and the models were too old. Apple's refurbished store doesn't produce its own inventory; it depends on the number of returns and trade-ins. Previously, the most common Mac products in the refurbished store were often models from the previous generation or even two or three years old. For users wanting the latest models, the refurbished versions held little purchase value.

(Image source: Apple)

But now, things have changed.

After the across-the-board price increases for Macs, the price base for brand-new machines has shifted upward overall. For example, some Apple notebook models in the Chinese domestic version have seen price increases of one or two thousand yuan. Now, when looking at refurbished machines, the absolute value corresponding to a 15% discount has become larger. Moreover, due to the price increases of new products, e-commerce subsidies have also risen, effectively widening the price gap between refurbished and brand-new machines.

More crucially, Apple's quality standards for refurbished machines have remained unchanged. Each refurbished machine undergoes a complete refurbishment process: comprehensive functional testing, replacement of defective parts, thorough cleaning, and repackaging. The battery is brand-new, and the casing is also brand-new. From a user experience perspective, it's almost impossible to distinguish between a refurbished MacBook Air and a brand-new one in terms of appearance, screen, keyboard feel, or performance.

In essence, for less money, consumers are getting a machine that's nearly brand-new, with the same AppleCare eligibility, and through Apple's official channels, without worrying about potential pitfalls like part replacements or serial number alterations that might exist with third-party refurbishments. As new product prices rise, this deal becomes increasingly attractive.

Interestingly, the SKUs in Apple's refurbished store are also gradually becoming more diverse. Previously, it might take half a year to see the current season's new models, but now a small number might appear after about three or four months. This could be due to an increase in Apple's trade-in business volume.

That said, official refurbished machines and the 'official replacement machines' often mentioned by many people in the market are completely different things. Many people confuse these two concepts, but their origins, nature, and purchase risks differ by more than a notch. If only looking at price, official replacement machines are often significantly cheaper than official refurbished machines, which is their main appeal to consumers. However, the risks behind the lower prices are not well understood by many.

Official refurbished machines are products that Apple officially recycles, undergoes a complete refurbishment process, and then relists for sale. Most of the time, users can only buy them in Apple's official refurbished section, enjoying an official one-year warranty and the ability to purchase AppleCare+ as usual. They are legitimate products within Apple's own system.

However, it's important to note that Apple still defines official refurbished machines as 'second-hand products.' The domestic version of refurbished Macs and iPads only comes with a one-year warranty for the entire device, whereas new devices come with a one-year warranty for the entire device plus an additional one-year warranty for major components. This is basically the biggest difference between them. Moreover, Apple's refurbished machine prices aren't always cheaper than e-commerce subsidies, so it's still advisable to compare prices before making a purchase.

Official replacement machines follow a different logic. When a user buys a Mac and encounters a fault that cannot be repaired during the warranty period, Apple may directly replace it with a brand-new machine, which is the official replacement machine. The replacement machine itself is a brand-new device, taken directly from the production line by Apple, with no difference in quality from the retail version. However, it doesn't come with retail packaging, only simple packaging, no accessories, and a different serial number from the retail version. Apple does not directly sell official replacement machines to consumers; those circulating in the market are basically flowing out through after-sales channels and then resold by third-party merchants.

The problem lies in the 'third-party resale' link. The replacement machine itself is genuine, but its warranty doesn't start from the purchase date; instead, it starts from when Apple first delivers the replacement machine to the after-sales channel. The warranty for replacement machines bought on second-hand platforms or third-party stores is thus shortened.

Moreover, there's no official channel to trace their origin, making it difficult for ordinary consumers to determine whether the machine is truly a replacement machine or an assembled one, and whether its parts have been replaced. Users have almost no means to verify merchants' claims of 'brand-new, unactivated official replacement machines.'

(Image source: E-commerce platform)

Additionally, some so-called 'official replacement machines' on the market aren't official replacement machines at all. They are machines that merchants have refurbished themselves and then sold under the guise of official replacements, having no connection with Apple. Merchants may replace the battery, casing, or even the screen with non-original parts. The 'cost-effectiveness' of such machines is purely achieved at the expense of part quality and after-sales risks. Users may save two or three thousand yuan, but once issues like screen problems, battery swelling, or motherboard failures arise, the repair costs may exceed the savings.

So, the simplest piece of advice to avoid pitfalls for ordinary consumers is this: only buy official refurbished machines from Apple's official refurbished section, and don't touch so-called 'official replacement machines' from third-party channels. Official refurbished machines may not offer exaggerated discounts, but their quality and after-sales support are guaranteed; so-called official replacement machines may seem ridiculously cheap, but the risk of getting scammed is extremely high.

Ultimately, there's no sign of a reversal in Mac price increases in the short term. The pressure of storage costs is global, and the demand for AI computing power will only continue to increase the demand for storage components like HBM, with Apple also bearing the brunt. Recently, there were reports that Apple intended to place orders with domestic storage manufacturers, but recent news indicates that the manufacturer rejected Apple's request for a price reduction, insisting on keeping order prices on par with Samsung and SK Hynix. Thus, it seems that Mac prices will remain high for a long time.

Mac price increases are not an isolated case; the Windows camp (Windows camp ) faces the same issue. Microsoft recently implemented across-the-board price increases for its Surface product line, with some models even surpassing the prices of comparable Macs. Brands like Dell, Lenovo, and HP, while not experiencing as concentrated price increases as Apple, have seen noticeable upward adjustments in the launch prices of their new products. TechRadar previously cited industry analysts' predictions that PC prices may continue to rise in 2026, with memory cost increases far from peaking.

In fact, Windows PC brands have ventured into the official refurbishment business earlier than Apple.

Dell has been operating its official refurbishment channel for over a decade, year-round (perennially) supplying refurbished laptops, desktops, and monitors, with discounts typically ranging from 15% to 30% off, and often offering additional discount codes. Lenovo also has an official refurbishment channel, with refurbished ThinkPad series machines being particularly popular, often priced at 40% off. HP's 'HP Renew' program mainly targets enterprise customers, refurbishing commercial models like EliteBook and ProBook, with quality standards on par with brand-new machines. Microsoft also has a similar program, specifically refurbishing Surface series devices.

(Image source: Dell)

As for brands like ASUS and Acer, while they don't have independent official refurbishment malls like the top three, they have also opened official refurbishment sections on platforms like JD.com and Tmall or sell certified refurbished machines through authorized channels.

Ultimately, whether it's Macs or Windows PCs, the cost of buying new machines is rising. Official refurbished machines won't replace brand-new machines as the mainstream option, but they will become an increasingly cost-effective alternative for more people. In this cycle of widespread hardware price increases, the mindset of ordinary consumers is also undergoing subtle changes.

In the past, buying digital products meant prioritizing new over old, with buying refurbished machines carrying a connotation of compromise due to budget constraints. But now, faced with notebook prices that can easily reach several thousand or even over ten thousand yuan, everyone is naturally becoming more pragmatic and willing to explore any methods to save money.

Apple Mac official refurbished machines PCAIPC

Source: Leitech

The images in this article come from the 123RF licensed image library. Source: Leitech