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Apple refurbished M4 Air is being framed as effectively new, with the same warranty and a price that lands near typical sale levels for this model. The 16GB and 256GB base configuration is praised as a strong value for everyday use, school, and lighter performance needs, especially versus paying more for an M5 Air or a Pro. The main tradeoff is storage, since 256GB can feel tight for college, STEM work, or local files, and some comparisons point to cheaper 512GB alternatives. It is a solid middle ground if you want Air performance without stepping up to the pricier storage tiers.
College STEM students running VMs and large apps, because the 256GB drive can force external storage and erase the price advantage.
The M5 Air adds 512GB storage, Wi‑Fi 7, and a 10-core GPU, while this M4 Air has 256GB and an 8-core GPU. If you need more storage or heavier use, the extra cost can be worth it; for lighter use, the M4 Air is the cheaper choice.
AppleCare can still be purchased at checkout, and Apple's warranty starts when the owner sets up the device. But if the purchase is made on someone else's card, you may lose credit-card purchase protection or extended warranty coverage.
$759 is in line with the typical sale price for this model, and similar new prices have appeared around $750 on major sales. It is a fair deal, but not an unusually low one.
Apple refurbs are treated as effectively new: they replace anything with even slight blemishes and include the same warranty. That makes the refurb label more about pricing than condition.
You can, but external SSDs or USB-C drives add cost and can become a bottleneck compared with the internal SSD. For STEM work, VMs, or lots of local apps, 512GB is the safer choice.
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16/256. This is about what we've come to expect as a "typical sale" price. Don't let the refurb tag fool you into thinking it's less. Apple refurbs should be considered "new." On the flip side, Apple refurbs often just pull the price down to everyone else's sale prices on new models.
TL;DR: not slick, but a fair price for what you're getting
$750 was the new price on this model around Black Friday and into the new year. I'd still consider this a very good price. As was already said, Apple Refurb should be considered new. Good deal.
Great price for performance. - The M5 Air comes with a larger 512gb NVME but at a price tag of $1199. If your wanting more ram and power than the neo but don't want to buy a pro or newer M5 air then this is a solid deal.
Great price for performance. - The M5 Air comes with a larger 512gb NVME but at a price tag of $1199. If your wanting more ram and power than the neo but don't want to buy a pro or newer M5 air then this is a solid deal.
Why are you trying to prove your point, by comparing this "deal" (which isn't even a good deal since it's a refurb) against the MSRP of the M5 air?
Your comment is nonsense, as a brand new M5 air has been $950 on sale. So big difference between that and $1200 you quote.
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from twiggy_alien_man
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Why are you trying to prove your point, by comparing this "deal" (which isn't even a good deal since it's a refurb) against the MSRP of the M5 air?
Your comment is nonsense, as a brand new M5 air has been $950 on sale. So big difference between that and $1200 you quote.
Yeah, it's a tough call. $759 for this or a new M5 for $950. The M5 has 512GB (vs 256GB) + wifi 7 + 10 core GPU (vs 8 here). Are those points worth $190 more? Personal choice. But if someone were trying to decide between the 512GB Neo at $699 vs this, you take the M4 Air all day long.
That's great, but that's pretty much useless to the vast majority of people here. This isn't like Costco where anybody could get a membership. For that matter, you can get a brand new M5 for 899 there.
Yeah, it's a tough call. $759 for this or a new M5 for $950. The M5 has 512GB (vs 256GB) + wifi 7 + 10 core GPU (vs 8 here). Are those points worth $190 more? Personal choice. But if someone were trying to decide between the 512GB Neo at $699 vs this, you take the M4 Air all day long.
I was deciding between the NEO and this for my kid and chose this one. It's sad that it was $750 brand new during Black Friday but don't think I can wait for another deal. Just think Apple refurb are almost like new and u still have a bunch of discounted Apple gift cards lying around.It's also tempting to get the M5 air brand new for $200 more but decided against it for my kids. For me personally, I think the M5 is worth the $200 upgrade, brand new with better cpu and more storage.
Yeah, it's a tough call. $759 for this or a new M5 for $950. The M5 has 512GB (vs 256GB) + wifi 7 + 10 core GPU (vs 8 here). Are those points worth $190 more? Personal choice. But if someone were trying to decide between the 512GB Neo at $699 vs this, you take the M4 Air all day long.
For most people it will be $599 for the Neo since apple doesn't actually verify student status. People getting the Neo probably dont need the power of the air so the extra storage is probably worth staying put instead of going up the ladder for a refurb m4
That's great, but that's pretty much useless to the vast majority of people here. This isn't like Costco where anybody could get a membership. For that matter, you can get a brand new M5 for 899 there.
I'm willing to wager that most people know someone who is currently serving or has served in the military and could ask them to get something for them. I frequently order items from AAFES for my friends, family, coworkers, and others. I've even had them delivered directly to their homes.
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I'm willing to wager that most people know someone who is currently serving or has served in the military and could ask them to get something for them. I frequently order items from AAFES for my friends, family, coworkers, and others. I've even had them delivered directly to their homes.
I'm willing to wager that, while many do, most, in fact, don't. And it's not always comfortable to ask someone whose eligibility stems from having had literally put their lives on the line, to help you save $100.
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I'm willing to wager that, while many do, most, in fact, don't. And it's not always comfortable to ask someone whose eligibility stems from having had literally put their lives on the line, to help you save $100.
I can certainly understand why you might feel a bit uncomfortable asking someone, especially if you're not very close to them.
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Community Reviews
Apple refurbished M4 Air is being framed as effectively new, with the same warranty and a price that lands near typical sale levels for this model. The 16GB and 256GB base configuration is praised as a strong value for everyday use, school, and lighter performance needs, especially versus paying more for an M5 Air or a Pro. The main tradeoff is storage, since 256GB can feel tight for college, STEM work, or local files, and some comparisons point to cheaper 512GB alternatives. It is a solid middle ground if you want Air performance without stepping up to the pricier storage tiers.
College STEM students running VMs and large apps, because the 256GB drive can force external storage and erase the price advantage.
Families buying a laptop for a high school student, because the Air is described as excellent for that workload.
Shoppers who want more memory and CPU headroom than a lower-tier laptop, because this model is seen as a solid step up without moving to a Pro.
Buyers who need the strongest warranty protections, because paying with someone else's card can reduce purchase protections and extended coverage.
College STEM students who need local storage for VMs and apps, because 256GB can force an external SSD and wipe out the savings.
Power users who keep lots of files locally, because 256GB fills quickly and can make routine updates painful.
Shoppers who want the cheapest 512GB option, because a 512GB Neo can cost less than moving up to this refurbished Air.
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TL;DR: not slick, but a fair price for what you're getting
Your comment is nonsense, as a brand new M5 air has been $950 on sale. So big difference between that and $1200 you quote.
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Why are you trying to prove your point, by comparing this "deal" (which isn't even a good deal since it's a refurb) against the MSRP of the M5 air?
Your comment is nonsense, as a brand new M5 air has been $950 on sale. So big difference between that and $1200 you quote.
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Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank
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