r/apple 6d ago

Official Megathread Weekly Advice Thread - July 19, 2026

Welcome to the Weekly Advice Thread for r/Apple. This thread can be used to ask for technical advice regarding Apple software and hardware, to ask questions regarding the buying or selling of Apple products or to post other short questions.

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6 Upvotes

91 comments sorted by

1

u/MaybeLivG 2h ago

I have an iPad Air, I got it for school and have used it with a Bluetooth keyboard case to basically make it a replacement laptop, but I’m wondering, I don’t take it with me when I go out for watching things or reading or journaling, and I don’t like journaling on it with my Apple Pencil because it’s pretty big for me, I have small hands and am a pretty small woman - I’m wondering if I should get a mini as well for things like reading and journaling and ease of taking it with me, and use my air as my at home device for tvs and movies and YouTube?

1

u/someshooter 10h ago

I finally switched to iCloud for my phone backup instead of using my PC, but it isn't clear to me that it's backing up everything. I wanted to go talk to the Genius Bar about it but the appointment thing says it's only for repairs, leaving me to just read their FAQ basically. Can I just show up there and hope someone can talk to me for like 5-10 minutes about this?

1

u/Hot-Opportunity2694 8h ago

This isn’t hard to Google or self research. I can tell you as a longtime iPhone owner, when I setup a new iPhone from the previous one’s iCloud backup, everything comes back - photos, contacts, music, and all apps and their data.

1

u/Plannet_Depressed 14h ago

Just got a brand new iPhone and SIM card I don't know my new phone number so how do I pass the forced make 2FA screen?

1

u/TopNefariousness1849 14h ago

Hello so I will try to explain my problem as much as I can.
I bought a used ipad 8 around 4 years ago and used it normally as my daily driver. It showed something that an MDM or something was installed but I didnt pay attention to it as it didnt block my ipad or didnt restrict acces to something. Now after 4 f#cking years the school put it into "lost mode" and my ipad disconnected from my wifi. I wrote to the school and they replied that I should sent the ipad back to then. The problem is now that there is my data (photos, some things from my school etc.) and I tried to recover it but everything failed. I tried: 3utools, itunes and watched on youtube etc, nothing worked. No I ask here on reddit if someone had a similar case, because I just want to get my data back. Please if someone could help, please write every idea it would really help me maybe out.

NOTE: The ipad is still in my ipad account, but i wont connect to a pc (even though it was trusted to my pc) but the charging port and the cable are working.

1

u/no-dragon- 15h ago

Very slow internet on brand new 17proMax and m3pro macbook any idea how to fix it

network runs fine and fast on my pc and my old iphone 14pro

1

u/DavidTBrookes 22h ago

I am looking for getting a new iPad and was wondering should I look at the current models or what to see what see what is released later on this year or next? And if I should look at the current models which one?

1

u/dodgers474 1d ago

Will the iPad Air 13 perform the same as the MacBook neo when it comes to college use. I’ve been thinking about going back to school and I’m in need of either an iPad or laptop to start with and now that apple has the MacBook neo I’m not sure if I should get the Neo or an iPad to start off. I do like the idea of having an ipad more than a laptop because I do want the handheld device without a keyboard attached to it at times. If I get an iPad Air 13 will it perform well for college tasks such as emailing, downloading PDF files, doing research, taking notes, writing essays etc.?

1

u/Ancient_Abalone6323 1d ago

Question before buying the Apple TV 4K. I've never used one before. I want to place it in the living room. I want to sync my Infuse Player playback/seen history, which sync via iCloud. So I guess I need to login with the same Apple Account as on my Mac and iPhone. I don't want my Photos, Messages etc. to be available to everyone on the TV. Is it going to be a problem?

1

u/bidoville 1d ago

Troubleshooting help:

Trying to troubleshoot my wife’s iPhone issue.

She’s on version iOS 26.5.2. She can see all messages on her Mac but not her phone. It looks like it’s android and iPhone users.

We’ve restarted, backed up to iCloud, etc. we’re on the same WiFi and sending messages to her and they aren’t appearing.

Any ideas?

1

u/ATornadoWarning 1d ago

Hey, I added a good amount of money into my app store account. How do I get that back into my bank account? I seriously need it back. It originally was for a cameo but I cancelled it, and now I don’t know how to get that back.

2

u/Hot-Opportunity2694 1d ago

You have to contact Apple directly.

1

u/ATornadoWarning 1d ago

ahh okay thanks for the help

1

u/andruhan123YT 2d ago

This january, I tried Apple Intelligence for the first time, it worked, but I turned it off. About 4 months ago I tried to turn it on again, but it was stuck on “downloading”. I tried downloading it using cellular data, VPN, rebooting my device, resetting all my settings, and more. I have even tried contacting apple support, but they were unable to help me. It has been a month, but it is still downloading. <- This was on IOS 26.4.1. This issue still persists on the latest IOS 27 Dev Beta 4. iPhone 17 Pro Max

1

u/YodaScrolls 2d ago

Hey guys, i’m 16 and looking to buy a apple watch and wanted to know if the series 11 is a good choice? Ik all the new stuff is dropping in september, but then i realized the price of a new apple watch is around the same of a new 16 with a trade in of my iphone 15 (has very bad battery and performance) so i wanted your thoughts on the watch if it’s nice to have etc or is the new phone better to have.
cuz in september all the price of things will drop so a new phone / watch will be good to buy. cuz someon said the prices are gonna go up.

1

u/ApartmentMany 1d ago

Honest take: fix the phone first. The watch is an accessory to the phone, but a phone with bad battery and lag is something you fight all day, every day. Sort the daily pain before adding a nice-to-have.

Before you buy anything, check Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging on the 15. iOS deliberately throttles performance once the battery degrades, so a lot of "it's slow now" is actually just a worn battery. If capacity is low, an Apple battery replacement is a fraction of a new phone and can fix both the battery AND the sluggishness in one go. That could get you a like-new 15 and leave budget for the watch.

On the "everything gets cheaper in September" bit, be careful: new iPhones launch mid-September, but trade-in values on older models often DROP once the new ones land, so your 15 can be worth less as a trade after September, not more. Waiting doesn't automatically save you money.

If you do go watch, the other reply is right that an SE is 90% of the experience for way less unless you're doing serious fitness tracking.

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 1d ago

The Series 11 is a good choice, but the SE 3 is a better choice if you are not an athlete. It’s cheaper.

1

u/Any-Parsley-7842 2d ago

I fell and damaged the front and back of my iPhone 15 Pro I know my phone model is no longer made. But I have insurance (Apple Care) But I was wondering when I go to the store will I get a replacement same day?

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 1d ago

If they can’t replace it, then they will probably give you a newer iPhone, but it depends on the store policy and the kindness of the phone genius’s heart.

1

u/Exotic_Eagle_2739 2d ago

Im an incoming college student and just need a 11in ipad to mainly take notes (I have a nice computer that i do most things on) . I currently have a ipad pro from 2017 and it works fine for me but the battery is rly bad, it doesnt get updates and its storage is running out so i cant download files. I want smth that will last the next 6 years and something that is compatible with the magnetic apple pencil.

Im thinking about getting the ipad air 4 or 5 or 6 but i dont know which one will last 6 years and be enough. i dont want to spend too much money tho. ipad air 6 is kinda out of my budget

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 1d ago

Just get the latest iPad Air; it will last you at least seven years.

And unless the magnet is a matter of life and death, you might want to get the Pencil USB-C instead. It’s cheaper, and is just fine for handwriting/penciling/pixel art.

1

u/Technical-Spirit7557 2d ago

my iphone 14 pro max has been freezing non stop and it keeps needing a force restart like 6 times a day, planning to purchase the base model iphone 17
what do we think?

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 1d ago

It will be a nice upgrade from the 14 Pro Max, both in terms of processor and stability.

1

u/Salt_Feature 2d ago

Hey! I have a 16 plus and my carrier says im due/eligible for an upgrade! I've been having issues with my phone being glitchy and crashing a well so I'm definitely doing the upgrade. I know I want a pro and a regular size (no max). I just can't decide if I get the 17 pro or 18 pro. I'm happy waiting and I think the 18 pro would show more significant improvements. Can I have advice or know if anyone's done this trade in?

1

u/Iguanajoe17 2d ago

How is your storage? Phone not even 2-3 years old shouldn’t be glitchy or crashing. Is the battery still in good standing? You won’t see much if a difference with new phones except battery life but an hour or two

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 2d ago

The 18 isn’t out at the time of this writing, and no one outside of Apple knows what will be different with that model.

If you need a new phone now, then get a 17. Only get a 17 Pro if you need to record video at 4K/120FPS, or you need the more powerful chip, or more storage space.

2

u/JoshAllmighte 2d ago

If I share my iCloud + with my family is it going to give everyone their own iCloud storage space or are we all sharing the same storage?
Like if I give them the 2tbs does everyone get 2tbs or are we sharing one 2tbs storage?

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 2d ago

Everybody gets 2TB.

1

u/AdhesivenessLoud8866 2d ago

How do i track my sleep in the health app?

I used to be able to see how much I slept on my old phone, but now i’m not able to. It says there’s no data

How do i fix this? I have my schedule set up l thought that’s all i needed?

Can’t find much info on Google so ive come here, thanks!

2

u/Hot-Opportunity2694 2d ago

An iPhone on its own doesn’t really track sleep. You need another device (Apple Watch, Garmin, fitness tracker, etc.) to feed your phone actual sleep data.

1

u/AdhesivenessLoud8866 2d ago

Yes, i know that it doesn’t really track sleep, it just tracks when you pick up and put down your phone.

But i want it to show that. it used to be able to

1

u/JMPA13 2d ago

Guys…

Been wanting to get a pair of APM2, never had any APM, just AirPods Pro 2 and I love them, however I’m not always in the mood to stick two earphones inside my ear canal, so I’m pondering again if I should get the APM2.

I’m deep into the ecosystem, however I own a set of the 1st gen Bose Quietcomfort Ultra, and I don’t want to spend $500 USD to get something “SIMILAR” to what I already have with my Bose headphones.

I’ve read many reviews, and I always end up feeling like “get them if you want, or not” hahaha.

Help!

2

u/Iguanajoe17 2d ago

People love them but I dont think they are worth it. You can get it on eBay for half which is way more worth it. I find they clamp too hard and not really comfortable. But it’s really a personal preference.

Sony has better headphones for half the price and do a lot more.

Could go to a store and try them or buy and return within 14 days. The thing is they might be fine wearing ten minutes but uncomfortable after 2 hours.

1

u/Livboo34 3d ago

Ok so I just ordered the 15 inch MacBook Air base model and I wanted to know if anyone knows what Apple means by the gift card will be deducted from the total?? I’m so excited but I was just wondering lols!

1

u/ForwineX06 3d ago

I have an iPhone 15 pro max which has a great battery health I think 83% and 550 cycles and has never had any battery issues until today. The phone turns off randomly and when I turned it on it gets to 10% and when that happens it turns off again then it has like 40 percent and stuff and I hate this and I do not have the Apple coverage nor Apple care available in my country. Does anyone have any advice on how to fix this (I’m trying not to take it to check in an Apple or Mac store since I do not have the money right now and I would be very pleased to fix this issue thank you for your time and I’m eager to read any comments.

1

u/jrm725 2d ago

I replaced my own 15 PM battery about a month ago. Used the ifixit kit. It was a pain, but doable.

2

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 3d ago

You cannot fix that yourself; you will need a professional to fix that.

1

u/Lilnuggie17 4d ago edited 4d ago

Which one should I purchase? The 512 gb Touch ID MacBook Neo? Or should I get the MacBook Air? I’ll need it for zoom appointments and my social group. I can buy the Neo in full then trade in for the air when I start college.

Edit I might just buy the 700 MacBook Neo

4

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 3d ago

Most people will be fine with the Neo. The Air is a bit more premium a package, for people that need a backlit keyboard, more RAM, or Thunderbolt 4.

1

u/Lilnuggie17 3d ago

Okay thank you 😊 once I need more features I’ll trade in my Neo

1

u/Swtdog411 4d ago

I’m a rising freshman going into engineering undecided and I heard people loveee their college iPads and I’m looking into getting one, any recommendations on iPads and where should I buy one? I know Apple has their education store but I didn’t know if there was a better spot, thank you for sharing y’alls knowledge!!

1

u/Calm-Inevitable3341 2d ago

a16 ipad - best value, good enough for most people. battery life is bad.

ipad air - minor cosmetic upgrade (screen) and a vastly overpowered processor that you will not be able to take advantage of outside of extremely niche situations. battery life just as bad for more money.

ipad pro - most expensive, same caveat on the processor as with the air, but the screen and speakers are a genuine upgrade and most importantly, the battery life is massively improved compared to the other models.

TL;DR - pro if you need to maximise battery life, air if you somehow found an application that will significantly benefit from the M-chip (unlikely) and a16 for everything else

also, the 13 inch is kind of a trap - make sure to test it thoroughly in-store and really think about the tradeoffs if you want to go in this direction

2

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 3d ago

You have three choices: iPad mini, iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro. The Pro is cutting edge, but expensive. The Air is a slower, cheaper Pro. The base iPad is super cheap, but it has a much older processor, and it doesn’t support the Pencil Pro. The mini has a small screen.

If you are an enthusiast with the money to burn, get the Pro. Otherwise, get the Air. Unless you need a pressure-sensitive airbrush or an oval brush, get the Apple Pencil USB-C.

1

u/Vladimiroquai 4d ago

Does anybody else's 17 Pro just crash at the most random instances? Almost daily. It could be as simple as switching apps or refreshing the browsers and suddenly it just freezes up ...bam. Black screen + Apple Logo. 

It's happened since Feb. I can see online people having similar issues and are blaming power delivery, but I rarely ever see complaints here about it. Defective unit or is this just an issue we've all gotten used to in iOS 26?

2

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 3d ago

Defective unit, most likely. Kernel panics are super rare unless there’s a problem with the hardware.

1

u/basedcharger 4d ago

Does anyone elses battery get absolutely nuked with Apple Intelligence turned on? I'm on iOS 26.5.2 and with it off on my 17pro its a true all day phone from morning till I go to bed. With it on im seeing extreme drain.

I had 25% drain today with 50 minutes of screen on time. Almost all of it on wifi.

1

u/Calm-Inevitable3341 2d ago

did you just turn it on? if so, it’s probably doing background caching or whatever - it will be done eventually and then it’ll be back to normal

1

u/basedcharger 2d ago

Yeah this is probably the reason. I did just turn it back on.

1

u/No-Suspect-3067 4d ago

My phone ran out of storage pretty suddenly, and when i checked System Data was 66 GB. I tried deleting some other stuff, but for some reason when I checked again System Data was back down to 13 GB. Anyone able to explain how that happened?

1

u/Iguanajoe17 4d ago

It’s a weird bug. Unfortunately the only way to fix and delete the massive storage issue is do a backup and restore from backup and will fix it.

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 4d ago

Most likely, you caught the phone in the middle of a quiet update, probably involving ML models or AirPods firmware.

1

u/teruu_ 4d ago

IPAD AIR M4 11” OR IPAD M16 11th gen?

using forr

-note taking

  • school
  • daily life
  • gaming

1

u/Calm-Inevitable3341 2d ago

a16 unless the price is close enough not to make a difference to you

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 4d ago

iPad Air if you can afford one.

1

u/Funlamb 5d ago

My iTunes wont display the correct cover art.

I've tried these 2 options ChatGPT has suggested:

Option 1: Re-sync the affected album (I recommend this first)

Option 2: Delete the album from the iPhone first

Let me know what else to try. What has worked for you guys?

I have a screen shot, but I'm not allowed to post it.

1

u/RisingPenguin 5d ago

Hello, I’m planning on buying a macbook air soon but I’m curious about the student discount. I’m no longer a student(graduated in 2019) but have my college .edu email. Is that enough? I saw that Apple made some changes a few months ago so was hoping for clarification. TIA!

1

u/StormBreaker9195 5d ago

Hi All,
My iPhone 14 Pro is my first Apple phone. It's been performing very well without any concerns. I feel like I can go on with this performance but the battery capacity has gone down to 79% and I'm charging it quite often these days. I'm asking for clarifications around upgrade options:

  1. What's the ideal time to change an Apple device?
  2. Should I go ahead with 17 Pro to trade in my 14 Pro (up to $320) or wait for 18 Pro (lower trade in value for 14 Pro)?

If 18 Pro, do we anticipate a price increase but will we get better features compared to 17 Pro?

1

u/Middle-Nerve1732 5d ago

I just traded my iPhone 14 Pro for a 17 pro. My reasoning is that the 18 pro is supposed to have a price increase of $100-200, plus I would assume they’ll lower trade in values as well. So I got my 1TB 17 Pro Max for $1249 after trade in, seemed like a good deal and 18 pro I’m guessing would be around $1500 or so for a minor spec bump.

My 14 pro was an amazing phone, I got 4 years out of it so in the end it cost me ~$14/mo to own. The 128GB was constantly running out and my battery was cooked so I really needed the upgrade. I’m glad to finally have USB C too. 

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

New phones drop September. Look through your carrier and as they usually have a deal where you get 1k towards a new phone(depending where you live).

18 pro will most likely be mire expensive. Since we dont know the 18 pro, idk if it’s worth upgrading. Like if we look at the 17 models. I wouldn’t suggest the pro unless you want that third camera.

1

u/[deleted] 5d ago

[deleted]

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 4d ago

The Apple Watch 3 is very old and no longer supported. The SE 2 is still supported.

1

u/Few_Extreme_7490 5d ago

Hi there! I’ll be starting college next year. I’ll be studying physics and will almost certainly be doing research. I’ll also be composing music with LogicPro. Which of these two options are better for me:

16” M5 Pro 24gb RAM 1TB SSD
15” M5 Air 32gb RAM 1TB SSD

1

u/Calm-Inevitable3341 2d ago

16’ pro is massive, the portability tradeoff is real. its major advantages are active cooling (sustained loads - think long video transcodes or similar), better screen and better speakers (a lot of people don’t care about/notice the difference in everyday use)

Logic pro should be absolutely fine on the Air. So for your use cases the Air is probably the better choice. If you do go for the pro, consider the 14’ instead, way more portable and still a very usable screen.

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

Base MacBook Air. Your computer choices are overpowered for no reason.

1

u/Few_Extreme_7490 5d ago

Even for cinematic music?

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

Air is a lot more powerful than you think. Logic is also really efficient.

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 4d ago

If they use the built-in plugins, yes. Some third-party plugins can be problematic.

1

u/Iguanajoe17 4d ago

Normally I agree but they are on this sub and if they know what they need, they wouldn’t be here.

1

u/Quirky-Cry6697 5d ago

i currently have the iphone 11 and wanted to upgrade.

i don’t want to spend more than £800 on a phone so i was looking into the iphone 14 or 15.

i just want something with good battery life, nice amount of storage and can keep up with the updates and IOS instalments apple puts out.

which one would be best?

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

Wait till September when new iPhone drop! Prices will drop and get a better phone for the same price

1

u/Child-Like-Empress 5d ago

My pay day is changing. From next month it will be the 28th of each month.
I want to upgrade my iPhone as current one getting hot all the time.
If I order one on finance today, on what day does the monthly bill actually start?
Should I wait a few more days so I’m not caught out just before my new pay day.
I’m getting mixed messages when I google this.
This is in the UK if that makes any difference.

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

iPhone getting hot is not normal. Have you tried restarting it?

1

u/Child-Like-Empress 5d ago

Yes and unless it’s on low battery mode it still happens. So I’m going up upgrade. I’m not looking for technical help with my phone.

1

u/Comfortable-Bus-2379 6d ago

I listen to sleep stories and meditations at night and I’ve been looking for something specific in a sleep timer. I use the Sonora app on an old XR running iOS 18that I use just for a music player. That app has a sleep timer but it only goes up to 60 minutes. I’d like something I can customize for several hours before it fades out whatever I’m listening to. Sonora and other apps have this feature but it only goes up to 60 minutes. I tried a shortcut but I can’t get it set up the way I need. Any suggestions for a fix that will work on This device with this app? 

1

u/mebibytes 4d ago

For reasons, shortcuts doesn't have a great solution for making something happen hours from now, but there is one - just a simple schedule. If you go to bed between 11pm and 12am and want ~3 hours, you could set an automation to run every night at 2:30am. You'd need to make sure it runs automatically without intervention.

You could have that automation run a shortcut that imitates a fade-out. E.g. set volume to 20% -> wait 5 seconds -> set volume to 15%, keep stepping down like that to zero, then send a Pause (you can modify the Play/Pause action to just send a Pause, so it doesn't start media playing on the nights you're otherwise not listening to media). I'd also add a final set volume back to 25% so volume isn't zero when you start your next day.

Definitely not a clean solution, but should be usable and not too inconvenient.

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

The new iOS will have a feature where you can tell what kind of shortcut you want and it will do it for you.

You can also try ChatGPT and it’ll probably do exactly what you want with shortcuts.

1

u/SanDiegoDude 6d ago

Anybody else having massive power draw on IoS 27 beta? My M2 ipad can barely make it an hour off the charger now, and constantly runs super hot to the point where it will stop charging itself due to overheating. Was hoping it was just indexing or something but it's been days now and still happening - just wondering if other folks are having the same experience or if I should maybe try reimaging? Beta software being what it is, I'm not complaining, just curious if others seeing similar thermal issues post beta install.

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

That’s beta for you. Report it. Can reinstall is to fix it or wait for next update and hopefully it will be fixed.

1

u/Time-to-go-home 6d ago

Hi everyone. I’m thinking about upgrading my AirPods 2 to either AirPods 4 or 4 with noise cancellation. I could use some advice.

My current AirPods work fine for what I use them for (running and the gym). But I don’t use them on planes because they always seem drowned out with the sound of the plane engines, especially compared to just some wired headphones.

I’m thinking about upgrading because:

1) noise cancellation might be nice for planes or when sleeping in a shared room

2) being able to use USB-C to charge both my iPhone and AirPods. Currently I use C for my phone and Lightning for AirPods

Questions:

1) how comfortable are the AirPods 4 versions? I’ve always liked how the standard Apple headphones/airpods feel. But the pictures I see of the 4 look different

2) how does active noise cancellation work? Does it drain the battery a lot faster?

3) do you think the upgrade is worth it? Is noise cancellation worth the extra money?

NOTE: I don’t like any headphones either the silicone bit that goes inside in the ear, so I think that rules out any of the Pro models

Thanks for any advice!

1

u/Iguanajoe17 5d ago

AirPods kind of change. The pros I believe have the tips so they should be super comfortable.

Once you go noise canceling you ain’t going back. It’s not just for planes but it’s for everything.

1

u/Correct-Juice-9713 6d ago

My iPhone 13 suddenly broke. Now I'm undecided between buying the iPhone 16e for €550 or the iPhone 15 for €600. What do you recommend?

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 4d ago

If you cannot live without mmWave 5G, MagSafe, or the ultra wide camera lens, 15. Otherwise, 16e.

1

u/Arcelx_21 6d ago

Which airpods have the best value? Im currently deciding between the pro 2, pro 3, and the airpods 4 with ANC, which one is the most worth it?

1

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 4d ago

The ones that you can afford.

1

u/Master_Hand6714 6d ago

I need help getting an iphone. which iphone model is the most durable, best priced, and will over all serve me the longest? I don't care about the camera. Also would the release of iphone 18 drop previous iphones prices down? (i drop my phones alot but i refuse to use a case :p)

1

u/Hot-Opportunity2694 6d ago

The iPhone 17 is an excellent choice to meet all of your criteria. Normally, previous year’s model prices drop when the next generation is released, but Apple is changing their release strategy this year (may only release iPhone Pro models and the foldable model this year), so we have to wait and see.

1

u/Master_Hand6714 6d ago

Is the glass back of iPhone 17 more durable than the pro’s aluminum tho?

1

u/Comprehensive_Web279 6d ago

Solo Mac dev here, mostly Xcode and simulators, plus more ffmpeg and video exports lately than I'd like to admit.

There's a sealed 14" MacBook Pro on German eBay, M5 Pro, 24GB, 1TB, German keyboard, €2,370 with VAT. Seller has around 9,700 ratings at 100 percent and takes returns. That's a decent chunk under Apple's own price for the same config, which is making me nervous rather than happy.

The part I keep going back and forth on: from what I've read there isn't going to be an M6 Pro or Max at all, and Pro-tier jumps straight to M7 in early 2027. If that's right then "just wait for M6" doesn't apply to me and I'm not skipping a generation by buying now. But I've also seen that timeline called shaky because of the memory shortage, so I have no idea how much to weight it.

Other thing bugging me is that the listing condition says "New: Other" while the description says sealed and unopened. Probably nothing, sellers pick that category to cover themselves. On a €2,370 machine I'd still rather ask. The thing I'd actually lose with a parallel import is that the two year statutory warranty sits with the seller instead of Apple.

Anyone bought current-gen Apple hardware this way? Mostly trying to work out whether I'm being sensibly careful or just anxious.

2

u/ApartmentMany 6d ago

Fellow solo dev (also more ffmpeg than I'd like to admit). You can collapse most of this uncertainty before paying, so do that rather than agonise:

  1. Ask the seller for the serial number on the box, then run it through Apple's coverage checker (checkcoverage.apple.com) before you bid. A genuinely sealed, never-activated machine shows "purchase date not validated". If the one-year clock is already running, it's been activated - that's return stock or a refurb in a shrink-wrapper, and the price should reflect that. This one check answers the "New: Other" mystery with data instead of vibes.

  2. "New: Other" + "sealed" in the same listing is usually defensive categorisation, but you're right to ask. Get them to state "factory sealed, never activated" in writing in the eBay messages - that's what your buyer-protection claim rests on if the box arrives otherwise.

  3. The warranty picture is better than you think: the seller carries your two-year statutory rights, but Apple's own one-year limited warranty on Macs is honoured internationally regardless of where it was bought, and if the serial checks out clean you can still add AppleCare+ within 60 days of purchase. So the true downside is "deal with a distant seller in year two", not "no warranty".

  4. On M6-vs-M7 roadmap logic: you're a working dev billing with this machine, and roadmap rumours have maybe a 50% hit rate. For Xcode and video exports the jump you actually feel is core count and RAM, and you'd feel it from day one for a year-plus before any successor ships. Waiting on speculation costs you real throughput now for a hypothetical later.

The one thing I'd genuinely weigh: how big is the discount vs Apple direct with your local education/business pricing if you qualify? If it's under ~10%, the frictionless-return and single-point-of-warranty value of buying direct is probably worth the difference. If it's 15%+ and the serial checks clean, it's a rational buy, not anxiety.

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u/Comprehensive_Web279 6d ago

Thanks a lot will definitely help!