Vintage Alert: Apple Designates 2016 Original iPhone SE as a Classic Collectible

Apple’s first iPhone SE joins the “Vintage” products list

In 2016, Apple released the first iPhone SE, a compact and affordable smartphone that combined the design of the iPhone 5s with the power of the A9 chipset and a 12MP camera. Now, more than five years after its release, the original iPhone SE has been added to Apple’s “Vintage” products list.

A product is considered “Vintage” by Apple when it has been more than five years, but less than seven years, since it was last distributed for sale. Although “Vintage” products might still be eligible for repairs through Apple or Apple Authorized Service Providers, there are no guarantees that parts will be available for these devices.

The first-generation iPhone SE featured a 4-inch LCD display, an A9 chip, and 2GB of RAM. It also introduced a 12MP rear camera, a significant upgrade from the 8MP camera found on the iPhone 5s. The device was priced at $399 at the time of its release.

Since then, Apple has launched two more versions of the iPhone SE based on the iPhone 8, with 4.7-inch LCD displays and more advanced A13 and A15 Bionic chips.

The addition of the original iPhone SE to the “Vintage” products list expands the lineup of vintage iPhones, which includes models like the iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, and iPhone 4, among others. Once a product reaches the seven-year mark, it is considered “Obsolete,” and hardware services are no longer available for these devices.

This news comes after the Apple Watch Series 1 was also placed on the “Vintage” products list, following the same criteria of being more than five years old but less than seven years since it was last distributed by Apple.