I made sure to champion used products during my time at TechRadar; Buying used appliances is a great way to save money and help the environment at the same time. But since every device I use is exam-ready, I haven't had to buy any technology in four years.
However, since I will soon be leaving TechRadar, the situation is different. Now I'm at a point where I have to start buying my own technology again. I have to spend my own money on devices that I will have, and not having been in that position for a while is a very scary change.
A recent purchase I had to make is an iPad. While I'm not a huge fan of Apple products, some of the apps I use in my professional life are only available on iOS, which rules out Android tablets for work.
I've been offering tech buying advice for years as part of the TechRadar team, but having to put my money where my mouth feels like great proof of what I've written. However, after finally buying a refurbished iPad Pro 12.9 (the 2021 model) with 256GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity and receiving it last night, I think I'm right to recommend refurbished devices.
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Buying a new iPad was a pretty daunting proposition since Apple devices are ridiculously expensive, but I kept an open mind about which device I would buy.
This attitude lasted exactly one second, at which point I ruled out buying an iPad Mini, because who the hell would even consider buying a tablet similar in size to some Android phones? Certainly not me.
For a while I considered buying a new iPad (2022), after hearing rumors of a redesign, and might have decided to buy it if the new generation had launched alongside the iPhone 14. That didn't happen, of course, and I can't stay. waiting for the supposed launch event in October. Also, I'm not a fan of the outdated design of current-gen models, so the entry-level iPad range also ticked the list.
The iPad Air has become my first choice; not the iPad Air (2022), since that's a pretty bad upgrade over its predecessor, but the iPad Air (2020). This tablet offers a premium design that I like, more than enough processing power, and a compact body. However, as you may already know from the title of this article, it wasn't the device I ended up choosing, for one simple reason: storage. Although the iPad Air is priced mid-range, it's for a concise 64GB of storage. Going for the larger size of 256GB raises the price considerably.
So where to go next? The iPad Pro range, of course, is the range I'm most familiar with, after all, I've used all the models since 2018. Although the iPad Pro range is also incredibly expensive, I like the more generous size of the 12,9 inch model. .XNUMX inches, and there are plenty of other storage options too.
Y, mientras compraba, descubrí que también hay muchas opciones en forma de models reacondicionados. You see, while checking the prices of the new iPad Pro tablets, I had also kept an eye on the cost of refurbished models, like BackMarket, Amazon and Apple's own stores, taking note of the cost differences between the back.
My research revealed that iPad Pro models were available at the best prices when comparing new to used. In addition, there was also a greater selection of qualities on offer; Some refurbished websites let you choose the quality of the device, with pristine-looking models costing more than slightly scratched ones.
That's why I ended up with an iPad Pro instead of an iPad Air, and a 12,9-inch model instead of a cheaper 11-inch device, one with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB. The generous number of refurbished iPad Pro models on the market allowed me to get more tablets for the same amount, saving me quite a bit of money.
In the end, I saved around €250 on the iPad I bought, compared to buying a new one at launch a year ago. Given that even Black Friday often sees a price reduction of around $100, this felt like a significant saving, which I was very happy with.
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After clicking "Buy" on Apple's site (which, surprisingly, offered the model at a better price than Amazon or BackMarket), I immediately had a question: I had agreed to spend a lot of money on a used tablet that I never I had seen before. I made a huge mistake?
I was full of apprehension when I arrived at the Apple Store, something that worsened when I entered; I felt like I was in a street bazaar. Why were there so many people wandering around not wanting to buy anything? Why were all the employees yelling at each other across the floor? Why did all the products on the show appear to have been used during a war? By trying to make its Apple Stores more like hangouts and less like stores, Apple had created a rather confusing visitor experience.
What caused even more confusion was that when I received the iPad I ordered, it was in a box covered in plastic wrap. Had the staff member given me a new tablet by accident?
But when I got home, I saw that the box said it was a refurbished product; Apple had simply gone to great lengths to make this refurbished tablet look like new. This was also evident when I opened the box and found the wall plug and cord securely wrapped.
Indeed, if it were not for the word "refurbished" on the box, no one would know that this is a used device, and the tablet itself is as much an indicator as the packaging. It was immaculate, no scratches or marks. Even the charging port, which can get scratched up quickly, looked like it had never seen a USB-C cable in its life.
Unfortunately, iPads don't come with the Battery Status feature you see on iPhones, so I can't say for sure how well the battery will hold up. However, after my day of using this tablet, it feels identical to the new test unit I've been using for months.
I am pleasantly surprised at how new this "refurbished" device is, and it made me rethink all my future purchase plans. Sure, Apple is a great company and you can count on a top-notch process for refurbishing your products, but that also means that its close competitors (including Amazon's revamped service and the Popular Web BackMarket site) probably have to keep up. . speed to stay competitive.
My iPad Pro looks basically brand new, with the only difference being that I paid much less than I would have for a new model. So if I can save a similar amount of money by buying other products, of equal quality (which seems like a no-brainer given the cost of living crisis), then I really don't see the need to buy new ones.