Apple began selling refurbished AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds Friday. Those willing to buy a previously purchased unit save $40 off the regular cost.
These are Apple’s premium earbuds, and this is the first time the company has put refurb units up for sale.
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Apple-refurbished AirPods Pro 2
AirPods Pro 2 offer impressive sound quality, active noise cancellation and a lengthy battery life. Apple says the ANC is twice as effective as the original version, and reviewers agree it’s noticeably better. Apple’s pro earbuds feature Adaptive Transparency mode, which cancels some external sounds while letting you remain aware of your surroundings and also reducing loud sounds that occur.
The iconic design is nearly identical to the earlier version, but that fits with the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” philosophy.
For more, check the Cult of Mac review of AirPods Pro 2.
Lightning not USB-C
In September 2023, Apple introduced a new version of second-gen AirPods Pro with a few tweaks and a charging case with a USB-C port. Confusingly, these have the same name as the 2022 version.
To be clear, the Apple Certified Refurbished earbuds being offered now are the 2022 version with a Lightning port on their charging case. But many people using an iPhone 14 or older might actually prefer that. (Apple switched to USB-C with the iPhone 15 lineup earlier this year.)
Save $40 on refurbished AirPods Pro 2
The Apple online store now lists refurbished AirPods Pro (2nd generation), a product added Friday. The price is $209, a savings of $40 off the non-refurb version. That’s about 16% off.
We highly recommend Apple Certified Refurbished gear like this. However, you can usually save even more by buying refurbs from other retailers. If that doesn’t bother you, you can score the same AirPods Pro 2 from Amazon at an even lower price.
Again, the only refurb version available at this time comes with a Lightning port.
Photo: Apple
What does Apple mean by ‘refurbished’?
When someone buys a product from Apple and then returns it, it is resold after going through a refurbishment process.
Apple says each unit goes through “full functionality testing” and a one-year warranty is included. The product gets repackaged with appropriate manuals and cables.
Want to know more? Read the Cult of Mac guide on why you should buy Apple Certified Refurbished products.
