Not even two months after the iPhone’s release and Apple is already offering refurbished units at a $100 discount. That’s right; if you haven’t gotten an iPhone because of the rather large price tag attached you can now pick up an “Apple Certified Refurbished” iPhone at a bit of a discount.
The refurbished units are being sold through Apple’s online store for $100 dollars off of the ticket price making the 4 GB model $399 with the 8 GB model going for $499. Both refurbished models come with a year warranty and are eligible for AppleCare Protection Program which extends repair coverage to two years. Even with the $69 AppleCare Protection Program you’ll get your refurbished iPhone at a discount.
Now the fact that these are “refurbished” units might deter some potential iPhone buyers, but the one year warranty should assuage most buyer’s fears. The reasons that an iPhone may be offered as a refurbished unit are many. Maybe it was returned days after purchase by unsatisfied customers, maybe it’s a retired loaner phone, maybe it was defective in some way. There are a lot of options.
Apple’s online store also offers refurbished Macs and iPods and includes warranties on everything it sells, so Apple has a pretty good reputation when it comes to refurbished items. Buying refurbished items can be a bit of a crap shoot, but they can be a good way to get the newest technology at a discount. For more information check out the discussions at DailyTech and Information Week.