# Buying used/refurb iPad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913 "2016-06-20T20:11:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/1 "2016-06-20T20:11:55Z")
Anyone have any information on whether it’s a good idea to buy previously-used iPads? I’m considering maybe an iPad Air 2; can I go back any further in the generations and get decent performance? Also, there’s an online seller called A4C that dominates the search results for refurb iPads; does anyone have any information about them? Are there other resellers? Thank you for your help. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/2 "2016-06-20T20:24:28Z")
I did; when I got a 4th-gen iPad, I looked at the prices. For the price of a new 16 GB one I could have got a refurb 64 GB one, which I did. has been flawless. But I would get one direct from Apple, if they have it. [http://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad](http://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad) ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/3 "2016-06-20T21:19:00Z")
Don’t go back as far as an Ipad 2 (not Air 2). I accidentally upgraded it to IOS 9.x and it has been an absolute POS ever since. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/4 "2016-06-20T21:26:17Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Anyone have any information on whether it’s a good idea to buy previously-used iPads? I’m considering maybe an iPad Air 2; can I go back any further in the generations and get decent performance? > > Also, there’s an online seller called A4C that dominates the search results for refurb iPads; does anyone have any information about them? Are there other resellers? I would second getting a refurb straight from Apple for several reasons. Apple is known to thoroughly test its refurbs, you will still receive a full 1-year AppleCare warranty as if it were a new purchase and because an iPad refurb will include a brand new battery as well as a new outer shell. Apple will also sometimes send a customer a unit with better specs than what they paid for if they don’t have the specific model the customer ordered on hand at time of shipment. So t’s possible you could get, for example, a 64 gig model when you only paid for the 32 gig model. The oldest iPad where you could still get decent performance, imo, is an iPad 4. There were a lot of big improvements introduced in that model. But I would stick with the Air 2 because, beyond the much better specs and future-proofness, it’s way thinner and lighter than an iPad 4. Having used both, that made a very big difference to me. ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/5 "2016-06-20T23:00:20Z")
I bought a used iPad earlier this year. Before you buy a used iPhone or iPad you want to be sure that it’s not icloud locked. If you don’t know what that means look here: [https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6200409?start=0](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6200409?start=0) Fortunately Apple makes it easy to see if the iPad/iPhone is unlocked: go to [https://www.icloud.com/activationlock/](https://www.icloud.com/activationlock/) and enter the serial number (or if the iPad has cellular you can enter the IMEI number or the serial number). ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/6 "2016-06-20T23:08:32Z")
I got the iPad 4 when the iPad Air came out, refurb from Apple. Like others have said, it’s worked fine and I was able to afford more memory. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/7 "2016-06-20T23:22:09Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > I would second getting a refurb straight from Apple for several reasons. Apple is known to thoroughly test its refurbs, you will still receive a full 1-year AppleCare warranty as if it were a new purchase and because an iPad refurb will include a brand new battery as well as a new outer shell. Apple will also sometimes send a customer a unit with better specs than what they paid for if they don’t have the specific model the customer ordered on hand at time of shipment. So t’s possible you could get, for example, a 64 gig model when you only paid for the 32 gig model. just to add a bit more, this is spot on. The refurb iPad I bought might as well have been new. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/8 "2016-06-20T23:39:33Z")
I don’t buy anything from Apple anymore, but I’m real big on refurbished Macs. Mac Of All Trades and other resellers do the same thing. All parts are checked and tested, not just grabbed off a shelf. They are _literally_ better than new. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/9 "2016-06-20T23:49:51Z")
I got a secondhand 32GB iPad 3 a couple of months ago. The main difference between it and the 4 is processor speed and the 30 pin connector rather than Lightning. Performance for my needs is still perfectly adequate. It’s using iOS 9.3.2 ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/10 "2016-06-20T23:54:15Z")
Try [Gazelle.com](http://Gazelle.com) or even Ebay with a Square Trade warranty. I’ve been very happy and having the warranty gives me peace of mind. Whether you should get a computer with an outdated Operating System is another issue. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/11 "2016-06-21T18:11:25Z")
Thanks for all the replies! ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-used-refurb-ipad/757913/12 "2016-06-21T18:57:24Z")
I have an original iPad and an iPad 2 (and an original mini and a Pro). The original iPad frequently crashes now with Safari - you’ll be browsing the internet and the app just closes back to the desktop(?) The 2 is not so bad. I guess it depends what you want to do with it. Just browse and email fine. Any fancier apps, maybe not.