For many tech fans and heavy users of new smart devices, the cost of staying up to date can be quite daunting. Even smaller devices like iPhones and tablets are costly, and if you are someone who likes to own the next best thing, it can add up over time. In another sense, if you are someone who has been looking to upgrade your device for awhile, you may have been delaying a new purchase due to price. Even if your current device is not broken, you might still be eyeing a newer version, and luckily there may be an alternative form of purchase you can make.
What Does Refurbished Mean?
Refurbished Apple products, or tech devices of any brand, are a cheaper alternative to buying them brand new. For many, the cost is what sets them back from buying a new iPad or other device, but refurbished products make it easier and more affordable. Some are a little nervous to buy refurbished because they have some misconceptions about the device. Let’s address those concerns now, because many worries you may have about buying a refurbished device may be rooted in untrue information.
Refurbished Products are Not Broken
There are many who believe that refurbished products that you might purchase from the Apple store or other companies are giving you a broken product. Rarely is the iPad mini or other product you are buying a formerly broken down device. In most cases, and many for Apple’s line of smart devices, the product is refurbished because it was being used as a model on the sales floor. Likely what occurred is that the iPad mini was on the sales floor for users to see and play with, and after it was pulled, the company did a few things to it to allow it to be sold. That moves into the next point to be made.
Refurbished Devices are not “Less Than”
You likely will only notice a difference in your refurbished iPad mini when you make the purchase and get the product at a discount. There are times that some things will not be included with a refurbished model that are with a complete in box version, but they are never something you require to use the product. For example, a refurbished iPad mini will not come without a charging cable. It may, however, come without the Apple sticker included in new purchases. Even then, it is likely that everything is included that you would find in a brand new iPad mini, even the things that are more fun than necessary.
Refurbished Products Do Not Give a Different Experience
Running the normal gambit of a smart device like an iPad mini seems impossible if your device has already been used. Many see refurbished as meaning somehow different than a factory sealed iPad mini, but in reality, you will get no different experience than you would if you bought it new. If you look it up online, sure, you may see some horror stories, but your chances of finding a refurbished iPad mini that you cannot use to the fullest are about the same as if a factory sealed iPad mini was giving you trouble.
In the end, your iPad mini, whether refurbished or not, is going to be a great asset to you in your personal and professional life. Before knowing if you want to buy a refurbished iPad mini, you ought to know whether or not you would use one in the first place.
Is the iPad Mini for You?
It’s important to know before you even consider a factory sealed or refurbished iPad mini is whether or not it is even the right tablet, or iPad, for you. In the end, there are three major options: an iPad Mini, an iPad Pro, or another tablet. Rather than go over the iPad Pro and other brands, we will focus on the main perks of having an iPad mini.
Size
The size of the iPad mini is the biggest influence in many shoppers’ minds. At less than 7 inches long, and weighing under three quarters of a pound, the iPad mini is a huge amount of computing power in a small package. At the end of the day, many who find the iPad mini beneficial are on the go and always looking to keep heavy duty computing power nearby no matter what.
Power
The A8 chip in the iPad mini is something you would think to find in a Macbook. The ability to do hardcore computing on a tablet is something you will not ever get passed if you try another brand of tablet. If you want to run some music through Spotify, write on Microsoft Word, and shuffle back and forth through notes on Evernote, your iPad mini can handle it. Plus, when you need a break, it can be used as an e-reader, game device, and more. The flexibility of the iPad mini is a huge draw, and it’s not all about size. With the number of ways you can use your iPad mini because of its A8 chip and computing power, you will likely never want to go back to the regular computer or laptop method.
Final Verdict
If you think that the iPad mini is your tablet of choice and you want to save a bit of money, a refurbished iPad is the way to go. It is cheaper that buying something that is factory sealed, and you will not notice a single difference. With most if not everything included with the repackaged, slightly used refurbished option, the only difference you notice at the end of the day is the extra couple hundred dollars in your bank account. With this in mind, hopefully a better bit of insight into what it means to have a refurbished product will keep you from wanting to avoid these types of products, in favor of the option that saves you money with no concessions. For most of us, money is an influence on our purchases, but the title of refurbished should not stop you from picking up an iPad mini.
Taylor is a freelance SEO copywriter and blogger. His areas of expertise include technology, pop culture, and marketing.
