Should I Buy A Refurbished Tablet As A Christmas Gift?

Easy to carry, easy to use and easy to wrap: what’s the downside of giving a tablet as a gift? A device that sits somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop in its size and function, tablets are so common that you’re likely to spot them in the hands of everyone from students to shop assistants to senior citizens. That’s right; there are more tablet owners in the 65+ age group than smartphone owners.  

Many of the benefits of owning a tablet are obvious. Tablets are super lightweight and portable, can entertain you with music and movies on the go, are great educational tools for kids and are more affordable than laptops. And affordability is always a plus at Christmas as people try to save money where they can.

There’s a lot to be said for refurbished devices, second-hand electronic devices that have been repaired and restored to new-like condition to be re-sold. They save you money and save existing devices from ending up in landfill at the same time. So, as the weeks fly by until Christmas and the pressure mounts to have your gifts picked out in time, there’s a question you may or may not have pondered: ‘should I buy a refurbished tablet?’

If you do, you have plenty of options to choose from. Second-hand iPad Pros and other top-selling Apple tablets are available refurbished. Instead of settling for low-grade older devices, you can gift a beloved friend or family member with a refurbished iPad Air this December.

In this blog, OzMobiles tackles the question of ‘should I buy a refurbished tablet?’ for you. We’ll list the benefits of refurbished devices and some of the popular refurbished models on the market so that you can decide.

 

The Quality of Refurbished Devices

A hand hovering over a tablet holding the pen accessory.

For those wary of refurbished devices, here’s some good news: refurbished is not just another word for “used”. A refurbished device is, in its most simple definition, a device that the manufacturer or a third party has restored to a new-like condition. Refurbished devices are fixed up to look like new devices, and for the most part, they do. But one major bonus of refurbished is that more wear and tear means more discounts.

Refurbished phones are sold in grades according to how closely they resemble new devices. A lot of refurbished devices have barely been used. Ex-demo smartphones have only been removed from their boxes to be put on display in shops. Some refurbished smartphones have more bumps and scratches than others, but all are fully functional when you buy them from a trustworthy company.   

Should you buy a refurbished tablet? To help you decide, let’s look at some of the refurbished tablet options on the market. If you’ve been eyeing an Apple tablet but feel put off by the price, a second-hand iPad Pro or a refurbished iPad Air might be the solution.

Popular Tablets and iPads As Gifts

A hand using the pen on a tablet to create art and draw.

Need some Christmas shopping inspiration? If you’re still wondering ‘should I buy a refurbished tablet for Christmas?’ these popular iPad and tablet models may help you make your mind up:

iPad Air 5

Apple’s 2022 edition of the iPad Air has everything a Mac user needs. Powered by the M1 processor and with 5G included, it stands out for its speakers, 10.9-inch liquid retina display and all-day battery life.  The iPad Air 5 is designed to run graphics-heavy games and easily switch between apps. A 12-megapixel back camera and Ultra-Wide front camera make photography on the go easy. Buying a refurbished iPad Air makes the whole package easier on your bank account.

iPad Pro 12.9

The iPad Pro 12.9 has a powerful M2 processor, making it a formidable laptop replacement. Available in futuristic silver or space grey, it has storage options of up to 2GB and Wi-Fi 6e support. The iPad Pro 12.9 is also compatible with the Apple Pencil, which turns your tablet into a notepad to jot notes and sketch on.

iPad Pro 11

The iPad Pro 11 contains most of the iPad Pro 12.9’s features but in a more compact and lightweight body. It also has a decent battery life, storage that goes up to 2TB and cool features like Center Stage, which uses machine learning to ensure no one is left out of the shot in video calls. When you need a device that’s easy to carry from place to place, a second-hand iPad Pro is an option with plenty of upsides.

iPad Air 2

Sleek and thin yet terrifically powerful, the iPad Air 2 has great all-round performance and efficiency thanks to its A8X chip. While the 8MP iSight camera takes lovely pictures and slow-motion videos, the quality of the screen makes them a joy to behold.

 

Benefits of Buying Refurbished

A woman using a tablet for design with 'hello' across the display.

“So why should I buy a refurbished tablet when it’s easy to walk into a department store and pick up a new one?” If that’s the question on your mind, refurbished tablets have several benefits that make them worthwhile to consider. Some of the main ones include:

Affordability

Like regular used tablets, refurbished tablets are generally sought-after for their reduced prices. You can save several hundreds of dollars on a refurbished device. Sometimes, you can even score a tablet that’s practically identical to a new one at a second-hand price.

Sustainability

Electronic devices like smartphones and tablets are major contributors to the issue of e-waste (electronic waste), the fastest-growing waste stream on the globe. Purchasing a refurbished tablet reduces the demand for another device to be produced (with all the carbon emissions and mineral mining that is required) and saves a perfectly good device from ending up in a landfill.

Quality

New tablets are expensive, and the fact is, you probably don’t need all the bells, whistles and new features they offer. A tablet that’s been out for a year or two still has every feature you need to carry out the most important tasks. And sometimes, being a little older is enough to make it much more affordable.

Variety

Sometimes, when you buy used, you have to settle for the options on offer, even if they’re pretty limited. Luckily, that’s not the case with refurbished tablets. When you shop online, you have many options for refurbished devices at your fingertips. So, where should you buy a refurbished tablet to ensure you get the quality level you want?

 

Buy Refurbished Tablets Online At OzMobiles

Where should you buy a refurbished tablet online? OzMobiles has a selection of locally sourced, affordable, refurbished tablets, including second-hand iPad Pro and refurbished iPad Air tablets.

All of our refurbished devices, including our tablets, come with 12-month warranties and 30-day money-back guarantees. Tested at our Melbourne headquarters using our Blancco testing software, these tablets are fully functioning and guaranteed to meet the high standards of quality you’d expect in Australia.

On top of affordable prices, we also offer payment plans to make your Christmas shopping more affordable. You can buy now and pay later through third-party providers like ZipPay, AfterPay or PayPal Pay in 4.

Whether you’re still wondering whether you should buy a refurbished tablet or have a few more questions, the OzMobiles team is here to help. Contact us for more information about our refurbished tablets, smartphones and other devices.

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