Buy smart, save big!
Discover how to cut the cost of your next MacBook, iPhone or iPad
As much as we love Apple’s latest Macs, iPhones and iPads, you don’t need to pay premium prices to upgrade your existing models. With a little know-how, you can effortlessly save hundreds of pounds without too much compromise involved.
Previous-gen models
If you’d rather buy new but aren’t desperate to own the very latest model, then, with the right timing, you can save yourself some serious money. The perfect time to buy is when the newest models have just started to hit the stores and retailers are left with the previous generation to sell.
Stores such as Very (very.co.uk), Amazon (amazon.co.uk), John Lewis (johnlewis.com) and Currys (currys.co.uk) usually offer discounts of £100-£250 depending on make and model, but also check out smaller chains like Apple specialist iStore (istore.co.uk) too. If the idea of hunting for the best possible price seems off-putting, let our friends at TechRadar help you, with their regularly updated ‘best deals’ pages (techradar.com/uk/deals).
Student discounts
If there’s a student in your family, then you can cash in on some great deals. Anyone in sixth form, college or university along with teachers at all levels can take advantage of schemes like UNiDAYS (myunidays.com) to secure up to 10% off new Apple products (plus an Apple Gift card up to £120). Also look out for regular Back to School promotions that you can usually share with friends and family too.
Before splashing the cash, check to see whether your school or college offers free MacBooks for incoming students – Delaware State University’s Digital Student Universe programme offers a free 13-inch MacBook Pro to first years, for example. Students should also bookmark sites like Student Money Saver (studentmoneysaver.co.uk), which bring together money-saving deals (including clearance offers) under one roof.
Employee savings
Does your workplace participate in discount schemes, such as Reward Gateway (rewardgateway.com/uk) or Thanks Ben (thanksben.com)? If so, keep an eye out for any Apple-related promotions that could save you money on your next purchase – and you can often extend these savings to others too.
If you’re self-employed or running your own business, check if your next purchase qualifies as a business expense – if it does, it can be offset against your tax bill (effectively giving you a discount of the amount of tax you’d otherwise pay on that portion of your earnings). Plus, if you’re registered for VAT, you can claim that cost back too – a saving currently worth 20%.
Second-hand bargains
You can easily pick up bargains on both current and past models of Apple kit from a number of places. Start with Apple’s Certified Refurbished store (apple.com/uk/shop/refurbished). Here you’ll have the peace of mind that goes with buying direct from Apple and can save up to 15%. Many items in the Refurbished store are open returns, but
all refurbished products come with a 12-month warranty and iOS devices have new batteries and outer shells, too.
That’s a good start, but if you’re looking for more price-cuts you’ll find a wide range of second-hand outlets – both online and on the high street – offer Apple kit with even bigger savings. Stores such as Back Market (backmarket. co.uk), CEX (uk.webuy.com) and Music Magpie (musicmagpie.co.uk) grade their second-hand stocks according to condition, and if you’re willing to put up with less-than-perfect (but still with a warranty), then the savings go deep.
You’ll find plenty of bargains on eBay too, from private sellers and businesses. Prices can be cheap, but do your research on the seller before plunging in. Do they offer a warranty or returns? Check the photos for signs of damage, and make sure the specs match the model you’re after – use everymac.com/ systems to help determine this. Also check what accessories, including power cables, are part of the deal.
The older the kit you’re looking for, the cheaper it should be – and while the second-hand stores may offer great prices (check the ‘Buy smart’ box to make sure what you buy meets your needs), you might also want to check sites like Gumtree (gumtree.com) and Facebook Marketplace (facebook.com/ marketplace), as well as your local small ads for potential bargains in your area.
You can recover some of the cost of your next purchase by selling your existing model – look for trade-in options, such as that from Apple (apple. com/uk/shop/trade-in), which enables you to convert your current model into credit towards your next purchase.
If you can’t afford to buy outright, then you may be tempted by finance. Look for 0% deals so you don’t pay more overall, and make sure you can afford the monthly cost (and deposit). You can also rent a MacBook from Oodles (ooodles.co.uk) for personal use. Businesses have more flexible options – Hardsoft (hardsoftcomputers.co.uk), offer rental and lease-hire depending on whether you want to retain ownership of the Mac after the agreement is up.
“If you’re looking for more price-cuts you’ll find second-hand outlets – online and on the high street