Apple Says Original iPhone SE is Now 'Obsolete' - MacRumors
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

apple tv 4k new orange

Apple Says Three More Products Are Now 'Vintage' or 'Obsolete'

Tuesday March 31, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple today added the MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) to its "vintage" products list, meaning the device is now only eligible for repairs at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers if parts remain available. The MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017) was the final MacBook Air model released before Apple redesigned the laptop and gave it a Retina display in 2018. Apple also added all iPad...
ipad air 3

Apple Adds Another iPad to Vintage Products List

Wednesday April 1, 2026 12:37 pm PDT by
Apple today updated its vintage and obsolete product page to add the Wi-Fi version of the third-generation iPad Air. Cellular iPad Air 3 models were already on the list, but the Wi-Fi models were sold for a longer period of time, and are now just appearing. The iPad Air 3 was released in March 2019, five years after the prior-generation iPad Air 2. It was a new iPad in Apple's tablet lineup, ...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple CEO Tim Cook Stepping Down, John Ternus Taking Over

Monday April 20, 2026 1:33 pm PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple's chief executive officer, and hardware engineering chief John Ternus is set to take over, Apple announced today. Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple's Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026. Cook is going to transition to executive chairman, and he will "assist with certain...

Top Rated Comments

20 weeks ago
The last awesome phone. Since then, phone sizes and prices have inflated by a lot.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
20 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
20 weeks ago

a bigger display, etc.
Not a "feature" we all want.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
20 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
20 weeks ago
I miss my SE. I liked it so much, I bought it twice.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
20 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)