At the start of this month, Apple announced that it added another iPhone to the list of models that have been branded obsolete by Apple. The latest model to meet the requirements to be called obsolete is the first-generation iPhone SE. Released in 2016 to counter lower priced Android models, the first iPhone SE was based on 2013's iPhone 5s. That means it was equipped with a 4-inch display. It also featured flat sides, and a physical home button with the first-generation Touch ID.
The first iPhone SE was based on the iPhone 5s
At the time that the first iPhone SE was launched, Apple's flagship iPhone models were the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sporting a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays respectively. Interestingly, the first-generation iPhone SE was powered by the same powerful A9 application processor (AP) that Apple was using to power the iPhone 6s series. At the time it was released, the first-gen iPhone SE was priced off contract starting at $399 for the model with 16GB of storage. Apple also sold a model with 64GB of storage and that pair was replaced with iPhone SE units carrying 32GB and 128GB of storage.
The iPhone 6s ($649) and 6s Plus ($749) both also featured a minimum of 16GB of storage and were priced much higher than the iPhone SE. The flagship models were also offered with 64GB and 128GB of storage. That eventually was hiked to models with 32GB and 128GB of storage.
Obsolete iPhone models cannot be repaired
Now that the first-generation iPhone SE is obsolete, it cannot be repaired, receive a battery replacement, get a screen replacement, or have any other service to fix the phone from an Apple Store or any Apple Authorized Service Provider worldwide. Service providers cannot order parts for obsolete devices.
The OG iPhone SE is now obsolete. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Apple declares an iPhone obsolete when more than seven years have passed since the device was last distributed for sale. Before they are tagged obsolete by Apple, devices can be declared vintage if Apple stopped distributing them more than five years ago and less than seven years ago. Vintage products can no longer receive the latest version of iOS. Nor will they receive any security updates and patches. This increases the risk that such models will face cyber-attacks making it dicey to use the browser or email.
Recommended For You
Apple replaced the iPhone SE budget line this year with the iPhone 16e which was priced starting at $599 for the 128GB model. Oher options include 256GB ($699) and 512GB ($899) variants. The phone has 8GB of RAM allowing it to have Apple Intelligence, Apple's AI initiative, pre-installed. Apple is expected to continue the line next year with the iPhone 17e. The iPhone 16e is the first budget iPhone with Face ID,
Obsolete iPhone models include:
iPhone
iPhone 3G (China mainland) 8GB
iPhone 3G 8GB, 16GB
iPhone 3GS (China mainland) 16GB, 32GB
iPhone 3GS (8GB)
iPhone 3GS 16GB, 32GB
iPhone 4 CDMA
iPhone 4 CDMA (8GB)
iPhone 4 16GB, 32GB
iPhone 4 GSM (8GB), Black
iPhone 4S
iPhone 4S (8GB)
iPhone 5C
iPhone 5S
iPhone 6
iPhone 6 Plus
iPhone 6s (32GB)
iPhone 6s Plus (32GB)
iPhone SE
Vintage iPhone models include:
iPhone 4 (8GB)
iPhone 5
iPhone 6s (16GB, 64GB, 128GB)
iPhone 6s Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 7 (PRODUCT)RED
iPhone 8 (64GB, 128GB, 256GB)
iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED
iPhone 8 Plus (64GB, 256GB)
iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED
iPhone X
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Vintage iPad models include:
iPad Air Wi-Fi
iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular (TD LTE)
iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi
iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad mini Wi-Fi, 16GB, Gray
iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, 16GB, Gray
iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, MM, 16GB, Gray
iPad mini Wi-Fi
iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular (MM)
iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi
iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi + 4G, GSM + CDMA
iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi
iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad mini 3 Wi-Fi + Cellular (TD-LTE)
iPad [original]
iPad 3G
iPad (3rd generation) Wi-Fi
iPad (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular (VZ)
iPad (4th generation) Wi-Fi
iPad (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad (4th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular (MM)
iPad (5th generation) Wi-Fi
iPad (5th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Wi-Fi
iPad Wi-Fi + 3G
iPad Wi-Fi + 4G
iPad Wi-Fi + 4G (Verizon)
iPad 2 Wi-Fi
iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G
iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (Verizon)
iPad Pro 9.7-inch Wi-Fi
iPad Pro 9.7-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Pro 12.9-inch Wi-Fi
iPad Pro 12.9-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular
Vintage iPad models:
iPad Air Cellular
iPad Air Cellular (TD LTE)
iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi
iPad mini 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Pro 10.5-inch Wi-Fi
iPad Pro 10.5-inch, Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Pro 11-inch Wi-Fi
iPad Pro 11-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd Generation) Wi-Fi
iPad Pro 12.9 inch (3rd Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular
iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, CDMA
iPad Wi-Fi + 4G, GSM
iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi
iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular
MacBook Pro (M1 series) flash sale! Limited time offer!
Save $40 on MacBook Pro (M1 series) from Back Market. Discount automatically applied at checkout. Offer ends 25 October 2026 at 23:59.
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: