Apple now selling refurbished M2 Mac mini, but you’re better off buying elsewhere

Apple has started selling its most affordable Apple Silicon-powered Mac at an even lower price. The M2 Mac mini, which was released back in January starting at $599, is now available via Apple’s refurbished store for the first time.

But you’re still better off buying via Amazon or Apple’s education store…

Via Apple’s refurbished store, you can now lock-in an M2-powered Mac mini for $509, a $90 (or 15%) discount compared to its normal retail price.

Apple is selling a number of different configurations of the M2 Mac mini on its refurbished store. At the top of the line, you can get an M2 Mac mini with 16GB of unified memory and 2TB of storage for $1,359. That’s a discount of $240 compared to the normal retail price.

Apple hasn’t added the M2 Pro Mac mini to its refurbished store just yet. This means that if you want the highest-spec Mac mini possible, you’ll have to buy through Apple’s regular online store.

Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple’s stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. Refurbished units are shipped in a special box with original accessories (in this case, that just means a power cable), and a one-year limited warranty. Refurbished Apple products are also eligible for AppleCare+ protection as well.

With all of that said, however, there’s still a way to buy a Mac mini directly from Apple for even cheaper than the refurbished store. If you shop via Apple’s education store, you can lock in the base model Mac mini in brand new condition starting at $499.

Apple doesn’t require verification for purchasing via its Education Store in the United States, but there are some purchasing limits in place that have gotten stricter in the last year: 

• Desktop: One (1) may be purchased per year
• Mac mini: One (1) may be purchased per year
• Notebook: One (1) may be purchased per year
• iPad: Two (2) may be purchased per year
• Accessories: Two (2) accessories with Education Pricing may be purchased per year

You can learn more about Apple’s education store policies in our coverage here.

And finally, Amazon is currently selling the M2 Mac mini for $499 for all buyers. This leaves very little reason for anyone to opt for a refurbished Mac mini from Apple.

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