The misapprehension and stigma against refurbished products are why people would prefer not to purchase them. We refrain from purchasing them because the refurbishment process is not as rigorous as the process used to produce a new one.
But, that’s not the case with Apple Watch or Apple products.
That’s because they have undergone a meticulous refurbishing process and are certified to make sure it offers full functionality as the new product in the market.
For more detail on whether should I buy a refurbished Apple Watch or not, here are why a refurbished Apple Watch is as good as a new Apple Watch. Before we go further;
What Is A Refurbished Apple Watch?
A refurbished Apple Watch is pre-owned that customers have returned to the company due to faulty reasons after a certain period of use.
Some of them may also be returned after being used for review purposes or marketing. Or, it may be unwanted perfect product returned or product elected to be recycled through Apple’s recycling program.
Then, Apple meticulously repairs these products by replacing faulty accessories/parts, including its cosmetic case and battery unit. After that, it undergoes thorough cleaning and inspection, they install current software and then undergoes another quality assurance inspection.
This ensures full functionality like a new Apple Watch before it is released to the public. But before releasing it, Apple assigns it a new refurbished part number with a new serial number.
New Apple Watch vs. Refurbished Apple Watch: What’s the Difference?
Since a refurbished Apple watch has undergone a meticulous refurbishing process and a quality inspection, it is unlikely to be distinguished from a new Apple Watch.
Secondly, a refurbished Apple Watch from Apple comes with a one-year warranty, including the manuals and accessories you’d get when you purchase a brand-new Apple Watch.
So no matter how thoroughly you inspect physically, you will not see the difference you are looking for.
If you are keen enough, you will notice a difference in their packaging with all that effort. That is to say, a refurbished Apple watch or product comes in a plain white box without imagery or branding.
We don’t know why Apple packs a refurbished product in a plain box, but only Apple knows the reason behind it.
Nonetheless, we can imagine this is to stop untrustworthy customers from reselling a refurbished product as new.
A refurbished Apple Watch is cheaper than its similar model or series. Therefore, if you want to save money and enjoy quality, we recommend you to opt for a refurbished Apple Watch.
And if you want to extend the warranty from one to two years, you can take out AppleCare+ for your refurbished Apple Watch. AppleCare+ grants you 24/7 access to Apple experts, technical support, and hardware coverage for two accidents.
However, it will cost you an additional £49/$69 fee for repairs, while battery replacements cost £82.44 from Apple.
Should I Buy A Refurbished Apple Watch? Here’s the Answer
Considering a refurbished Apple Watch has undergone thorough cleaning, inspection, its software updated, and certified for standard quality assurance, it is worth buying a refurbished Apple Watch.
Besides, below are further reasons why you should consider a refurbished Apple Watch:
- The screen and back are utterly flawless, with no signs of crack, scratches, or scuffs.
- The top, bottom, and side edges have no sign or indication of wear.
- The battery is at 100% capacity, and you will receive a new and original charger and cable that is perfect and fully functional.
- You will save between 15-50% of the original retail price of the new product. That’s why a refurbished Apple Watch is a hot deal on refurbished Apple Store.
- They perform excellently as new Apple Watch product.
- It comes with the same one-year warranty you’d get from purchasing a brand-new Apple Watch. Nonetheless, you can extend the warranty from one to two years by taking out AppleCare+.
- They do not have user data because their internal storage is wiped out, making it completely fresh and ready for you.
- All the internal parts of the hardware are cleaned, sanitized, and polished, including the screens making it dust-free and spotless as a brand-new product.
Which Refurbished Apple Watch Should you Buy?
Currently, there are seven generations of Apple watches spanning from a couple of hundreds of dollars or pounds to thousands. But not all of them are available directly from Apple.
Firstly, Apple sells the Series 7, Series 3, and SE; therefore, if you hunt for a refurbished Apple Watch Series 7, you won’t get it at the Apple Refurbished Store.
Secondly, we strongly recommend not to opt for a refurbished Apple Watch older than the Apple Watch Series 4. That’s because the older Apple Watch is slow regarding features and processing power, and soon Apple may not support them.
Listed below are some of the refurbished Apple Watch models widely available in the Apple Refurbished Store. They include:
- Apple Watch Series 3
- Apple Watch Series 4
- Apple Watch Series 5
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Apple Watch Series 7
If you are in the UK, you can get Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, and Series 6 models in GPS and Cellular configurations, and they come in a variety of color options.
While in the US, you can get all of the Series mentioned above models, but limited in color option due at the time of writing.
List of Countries with Apple Certified Refurbished Stores
Besides the United States of America, there are multiple countries where you can get legit or certified Apple Refurbished Stores. They include:
- Japan
- The Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Italy
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- The United Kingdom
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Ireland.
Can I Buy Refurbished Apple Watch Products from Third-Party Resellers?
Yes, yes can purchase refurbished Apple Watch products from third-party resellers like Amazon, Best Buy, Gazelle, Mac of All Trades, and others offering refurbished Macs. However, it is worth noting that no third-party resellers are permitted to sell Apple watch products that Apple’s refurbishing process has guaranteed.
Secondly, third-party refurbished products do not come with the same warranty from Apple, and they have not undergone a thorough inspection and are certified for standard quality. You will get a limited warranty, and sometimes it may not be eligible.
Lastly, they come at a lower price than you could get from Apple Stores. You could be tempted to buy a refurbished Apple watch or product from a third-party reseller, but in the end, an issue may arise, leading to high expenses of repairing it.
If you want a refurbished Apple Watch that functions as a brand-new Apple Watch, we recommend buying it from the Refurbished certified Apple Store.
We wish you all the best.
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