One way to score a deal on the the latest Apple Watch Series 5 is buy a unit that someone purchased then returned to Apple. These get rigorously refurbished, then are offered to the public at up to 15% off the regular price.
Tuesday is the first day Series 5 units have been available refurbished.
Save $60 or more on a refurbished Apple Watch Series 5 in a range of colors
Apple Watch Series 5 is the first in this line of wearables with an always-on display, a built-in compass and ambient noise monitoring. Plus, it inherits many features from its predecessor, like ECG, a heart-rate monitor, and either a 44mm or 40mm OLED display.
The 40mm version normally costs $399, but a refurbished unit goes for $339. Apple also knocks $60 off the price of the 44mm version, bringing it down to $369.
Apple sells refurbished Apple Watch Series 5 units with built-in 4G LTE at $80 below the regular price. That makes the 40mm version $419, or the 44mm one $529.
A range of case colors and bands are listed on refurb page of the online Apple Store, but not all of these are available at the time of this writing. Also Apple has a limited supply, and it’s first come-first serve.
What does “refurbished” mean?
It’s likely some people are nervous about buying a used device. Apple promises it doesn’t just wrap these up, sight unseen. Instead, they go through “full functionality testing.” And devices that fail this and require replacement parts aren’t sold through the Apple Certified Refurbished Program.
In addition, the devices get cleaned and then repackaged, with appropriate manuals, cables and new boxes added.
