Skip to Content

Apple Says Original iPhone SE is Now 'Obsolete'

Apple today added the first-generation iPhone SE to its obsolete products list, meaning the device is no longer eligible for repairs, battery replacements, or any other service at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers worldwide.

iPhone SE Feature
Apple considers a product to be obsolete once seven years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale. The original iPhone SE was discontinued in September 2018, so the device recently crossed that seven-year mark.

The original iPhone SE was released in March 2016. The device's design is largely based on the iPhone 5s, with key specs including a 4-inch display, a Touch ID home button, and an aluminum and glass frame with chamfered edges. However, the original iPhone SE is powered by a newer A9 chip from the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

"Everyone who wants a smaller phone is going to love iPhone SE," said Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller, in a press release announcing the device.

Apple went on to release second-generation and third-generation iPhone SE models in April 2020 and March 2022, respectively, with both of those devices having a similar design as the iPhone 8. In February 2025, the iPhone SE was entirely discontinued for the foreseeable future, after it was effectively replaced by the iPhone 16e.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

First MacBook Neo Benchmarks Are In: Here's How It Compares to the M1 MacBook Air

Thursday March 5, 2026 4:07 pm PST by
Benchmarks for the new MacBook Neo surfaced today, and unsurprisingly, CPU performance is almost identical to the iPhone 16 Pro. The MacBook Neo uses the same 6-core A18 Pro chip that was first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro, but it has one fewer GPU core. The MacBook Neo earned a single-core score of 3461 and a multi-core score of 8668, along with a Metal score of 31286. Here's how the...
HomePod mini and Apple TV Sage

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Are Still Missing, Here's Why

Thursday March 5, 2026 6:11 am PST by
Apple this week unveiled seven products, ranging from the iPhone 17e to the MacBook Neo, but new Apple TV and HomePod mini models were not among them. Given that there have been rumors about the next-generation Apple TV and HomePod mini since all the way back in late 2024, some customers are wondering why the devices have yet to launch, and the answer likely relates to Siri. In September, ...
MacBook Neo Feature Pastel 1

Apple Announces $599 'MacBook Neo' With A18 Pro Chip

Wednesday March 4, 2026 6:15 am PST by
Apple today announced the "MacBook Neo," an all-new kind of low-cost Mac featuring the A18 Pro chip for $599. The MacBook Neo is the first Mac to be powered by an iPhone chip; the A18 Pro debuted in 2024's iPhone 16 Pro models. Apple says it is up to 50% faster for everyday tasks than the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5, up to 3x faster for on-device AI workloads,...

Top Rated Comments

14 weeks ago
The last awesome phone. Since then, phone sizes and prices have inflated by a lot.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 weeks ago
It was a big mistake to discontinue the SE and mini ranges. I know many people, myself included, who love small phones.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
14 weeks ago

a bigger display, etc.
Not a "feature" we all want.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
14 weeks ago
For anyone that needs to hear this ...

You don't need to come into these threads and try to get everyone who loves smaller phones to stop talking about them.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxFoxtail Avatar
14 weeks ago
I miss my SE. I liked it so much, I bought it twice.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 weeks ago
This phone was so good, I bought it the day it released, and upgraded to an iPhone mini 13, which I'm holding onto because it can actually be used one-handed.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)