It's not just the iPhone 18 Pro price boom – older Apple devices get costlier, too

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is two months away and we're still juggling rumors about its display, camera and battery specs, but one thing is all but confirmed: it's going to be pricier.

This isn't my inner doomer saying so; CEO Tim Cook himself advised that Apple users should brace themselves come September, since components for the iPhone 18 series have skyrocketed in cost.

Since misery loves company, that's not the end of it. Apple raised prices on a wide range of products (15 products, to be exact) like the iPad Pro which now sells for $1,199, up from $999: a 20% price hike.

And now, even refurbished Apple products are getting slapped with a higher price.

Pay more!

Apple's Certified Refurbished Store is adopting the trend too and prices over there have increased by roughly 6% to 15% across several products.

One example is the refurbished 15-inch MacBook Air with the M4 chip, 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. This one would cost you $929 on June 14 but is now listed at $1,019, which is a $90 increase. The laptop originally launched at $1,199.

The refurbished 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage also became pricier. Its price rose from $1,359 to $1,439, an $80 increase, while its original retail price was $1,599.

Even costlier

Apple does not reveal exactly what parts are replaced during the refurbishment process, so some units may receive new logic boards, while others may only need new displays or outer casings.

Some products saw even larger price hikes. The refurbished 24-inch iMac with the M4 chip, 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage climbed from $1,099 to $1,269, an increase of $170.

For now, these price increases appear to be limited to Apple's own Certified Refurbished Store. Other retailers that sell refurbished Apple devices, including Best Buy, have not broadly matched the higher prices.

Are refurbished gadgets worth it?

Oh, yes! Some are reluctant to use any pre-owned device and insist on peeling the protective stickers off by themselves, but those people have deep pockets anyway.

It's not just that you're saving money when you buy a refurbished gadget. You're also getting more bang for your buck.

Recently, we ran a test and compared a $560 refurbished flagship to new mid-rangers… and it wasn't close.

The $559 OnePlus 13 (down from its original $900) absolutely crushed the living daylights out of $500 to $700 phones like the Pixel 10a, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro and the Galaxy S25 FE.