Updated February 25: article originally posted February 24.
Apple has a special offer if you are looking to buy the latest MacBook Pro laptops, but you’ll have to hurry…
14-inch Macbook Pro
Following the listing of the M3-powered MacBook Pro in the refurbished section of its online store, Apple has confirmed that the M3 Pro-powered MacBook Pro models are also available with a significant discount.
Update: Sunday February 25: With any new MacBook, you know you will get many years of security patches and updates to macOS. While Apple does not make any guarantees, it has a reputation for providing long support windows… in the case of the iPhone continuing to offer security updates for models that no longer receive the iOS feature updates.
The same is true of macOS, with older models still picking up security updates long after Apple left these models behind for more advanced laptops. Given the control that Apple has over the Apple Silicon chipsets, it’s likely that support for these laptops will be long-lived, especially as the M1 MacBook Pro is still available.
This is important, given it will be some time before macOS picks up a significant update. Writing for the Power On newsletter, Apple reporter Mack Gurman notes that—while iOS 18 will see major changes in June—development on an overhaul of macOS will not arrive until 2025 or, more likely, 2026. And there’s every expectation that all Apple Silicon laptops will receive the refreshed operating system, including the attractive refurbished models currently on offer.
The flagship Apple store in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China (Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty … [+]
It’s important to note the “refurbished” tag because these are not brand-new laptops from Apple, but they are as good as new, in my opinion. Not only have they been through Apple’s rigorous testing process before being placed on sale, but they come with the same one-year warranty as a brand-new MacBook Pro.
The refurbished macOS laptops are also eligible for AppleCare+ with the same length and level of support as you would get when adding the care package to a brand-new laptop.
The base-level 14-inch M3 Pro-powered MacBook Pro has a $300 discount, taking it to $1699, the base 16-inch M3 Pro-powered model comes with a $380 discount, and the base M3-Max model is discounted by $480.
As always with Apple’s refurbished store, stock levels are variable, and the storage, memory, and processor speed options will vary widely. If you are browsing for a specific model, you may need to check back a few times to get the laptop you want.
While these offers are notable, you should consider your computing needs carefully before buying them. Apple’s MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops have all benefitted from the switch to ARM-based chipsets. The lift in performance and battery life means that 2020’s MacBookAir M1 is still a competent machine nearly four years later.
If you are in need of significant levels of performance on a budget, this offer should be considered. The M3-Pro and M3-Max laptops were released a touch over three months ago and represent Apple’s highest specification of macOS laptops.
Apple still has to launch an M3-based MacBook Air but is expected to do so in March. When that happens, the $1099 current M2-powered MacBook should see a price drop to $999.
Now read the latest Mac, iPhone, and Apple Vision Pro headlines in Forbes’ weekly news digest…
