€1,199 for a new MacBook Air. Or €700 for the same device – just refurbished, with warranty. Almost €500 saved, without quality compromises. Sounds too good to be true?
Three months ago, I told a friend to buy a refurbished Apple Watch instead of new. He was skeptical. "Isn't that just fancy e-waste?"
I hesitated for three years. Spending €2,400 on a MacBook Pro felt wrong. Then I bought a refurbished M1 Pro model for €1,600 with 14 battery cycles. The thing looked new, worked like new, and I had €800 extra in my account.
I spent three hours in a refurbished electronics shop last month. Why? Because I wanted to find out if a refurbished iPad from 2022 for 450 euros is a better investment than a brand-new Lenovo for 300 euros.
You're staring at a listing for a refurbished iPhone. €450 instead of €800 new. Sounds tempting. Then you spot it: "Battery capacity at least 80%". And suddenly you're wondering if this is a great deal or a trap.
62 million tonnes of e-waste. Every single year. Only 22% gets properly recycled, according to the WHO).
After rent, food, and health insurance, the average student in Germany has about €242 left each month. A new laptop costs €800 to €1,200. A refurbished business laptop? €300 to €500, while saving 93% of CO2 emissions compared to buying new.
That refurbished Pixel 8 you buy today? It gets software updates until October 2030. Almost five full years of support. Sounds crazy, but it's true. And that's exactly why refurbished Pixel phones might be the smartest tech purchase you can make in 2026.
I bought my first refurbished MacBook three years ago. Back then, I was skeptical. Worried about hidden defects. Wondering if "refurbished" was just a fancy word for "somebody else's problem." Spoiler: That MacBook Air M1 still runs perfectly, has 92% battery capacity, and cost me nearly 600...
You're standing in the Apple Store. The new iPhone 16 Pro costs €1,299. Your wallet says no, but you need a reliable smartphone. Sound familiar?
About 50% of German consumers avoid buying refurbished devices because they're unsure about the warranty. That's according to a 2025 study by the Vodafone Institute. The concern is understandable. But usually unfounded.
A decent new laptop costs €800 to €1,500. A MacBook Air? Even more. But what if you could get the exact same machine for half the price?