AI mania is inflating used MacBook prices, and it’s a sign of what’s coming next

China's love for OpenClaw is sending secondhand Mac prices through the roof, and it's only getting started.

By Rachit Agarwal Published March 19, 2026

Computer, Electronics, Laptop — Thai Nguyen / Unsplash

As if it were not enough that the AI boom has driven up RAM and SSD prices, making new laptops and desktops more expensive. Now, it is starting to push up prices in the used laptop market.

An AI tool called OpenClaw has taken China by storm, and its ripple effects are showing up in unexpected places. If you are unfamiliar, OpenClaw is an AI agent that can independently handle personal tasks, like sending emails and shopping online.

Why are people buying used MacBooks for running OpenClaw?

While OpenClaw is free to download, it carries security risks. To stay safe, many users run it on a separate device, and a number of them are turning to secondhand Macs to do that. The higher demand is causing a sharp increase in the prices of used Macs.

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According to a report by CNBC, Jeremy Ji, Chief Strategy Officer at ATRenew, a used electronics reseller that works with Apple and JD.com in China, has said that the demand surge feels like the pandemic all over again.

Between March and May this year, prices for used Apple products are holding at the same levels as the peak fall season around new iPhone releases, when they’re typically at their highest. That’s unusual for spring, when prices normally dip.

Apple’s Mac Mini has become the go-to choice for early OpenClaw adopters, largely due to Apple’s power-efficient in-house chips. This has led to a 15% increase in the prices of used Macs sold on ATRenew.

Is this trend here to stay?

Ji predicts the demand will continue throughout the year. ATRenew has even had to raise its buyback prices to keep up with supply. The company handled around 100,000 devices a day on average last year, and Ji expects laptops and PCs to grow from 15% to 20% of the business.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang called OpenClaw “definitely the next ChatGPT,” describing it as the most popular open-source project in history. With Tencent and other Chinese tech companies jumping on the OpenClaw bandwagon to attract users, demand in China is currently outpacing even the United States.

This trend appears to be here to stay and will likely accelerate as more people become comfortable integrating AI into their lives. If you are considering buying a new or used MacBook, now is the best time, as prices are expected to keep rising for the foreseeable future.

Rachit is a seasoned tech journalist with over seven years of experience covering the consumer technology landscape.

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