Apple iPhone SE declared ‘vintage’: What it actually means for users

The iPhone SE series started with first Apple iPhone SE, which launched in 2016. Marketed as an affordable iPhone for those who did not want to spend flagship amounts on a new phone, the iPhone SE brought back a classic design and would go on to start a new series which today comprises two more successors, launched respectively in 2020 and 2022. Now, over seven years later, Apple has declared the first iPhone SE a ‘vintage’ product.

Before you think of heading to eBay to sell your old iPhone SE for a fortune, we’d like to inform you of what the vintage title actually means for Apple products. The Cupertino-based company actually maintains a list of products vintage and obsolete products.

What are vintage and obsolete Apple products?

In Apple’s books, a product is considered vintage when Apple stops selling it for more than five years, but less than seven years. Post seven years of the product not being sold via Apple, an obsolete label replaces the vintage label. Apart from a few exceptions in countries like France, this applies to all Apple products, from older iPods to MacBooks.

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When a product is marked as vintage, Apple will no longer offer software updates for the products. Additionally, Apple mentions that service and parts may or may not be available for these products, subject to availability of spares.

When a product is marked as obsolete, Apple will no longer offer any form of hardware service for the products, and neither will service centres be able to order spare parts. Some product lines may have an exception here. The MacBook laptops, for instance, may be eligible for a battery replacement for up to 10 years (since the product was last sold).

What this means for iPhone SE users

If you have the original 2016 iPhone SE, the addition of the device to the vintage and obsolete list means that servicing your iPhone SE could be a problem, especially in the event of hardware issues/damages.

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While you could continue using the phone, with iPhone SE 2016 now no longer receiving updates and getting harder to service or repair, you may want to consider upgrading to one of the newer iPhones. The iPhone 15 series, for instance, is newer, much more powerful and capable, and is future-proof for the next five years.