Apple has updated its list of vintage and obsolete devices, adding a handful of older iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Beats products. One of the most notable additions is the first-generation iPhone SE. The model arrived in 2016 as a smaller, budget-friendly option for users who didn’t want the larger flagship iPhones of that period. With its new classification, Apple will limit service support for the device going forward. Other products added to the list include the 2017 iPad Pro 12.9-inch model, select Apple Watch Series 4 variants, and the Beats Pill 2.0 speaker. Also Read: iPhone 17 Could Get A Price Hike In India Soon; Here’s What We Know So Far
iPhone SE and iPad Pro 12.9-Inch Now Classified as Vintage
The original iPhone SE (2016) has officially been added to Apple’s Vintage and Obsolete list. At launch in India, the phone started at Rs 39,000 for the 16GB model, while the 64GB variant was priced at Rs 49,000. Apple stopped selling the device in 2018, before introducing the second-generation iPhone SE in 2020.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (second generation), introduced in 2017, has also been added to the list. Apple discontinued this model a year later, while the smaller 10.5-inch iPad Pro from the same generation remained on sale until 2019.
Apple has also marked the Apple Watch Series 4 Hermes and Nike editions as vintage. These models were launched in 2018 and discontinued in 2019 after the arrival of the Apple Watch Series 5. The Beats Pill 2.0, released in 2013, is the latest audio product to join the category.
How Apple Decides Vintage vs. Obsolete
Apple labels a device as vintage if it stopped distributing the product for sale more than five years ago but less than seven. Vintage products may still receive service support, depending on the availability of spare parts.
Devices are classified as obsolete once Apple has stopped selling them for more than seven years. For these products, Apple and its authorised service providers discontinue all hardware repairs and cannot order replacement parts.
Apple notes that older products may still receive software support, but hardware servicing remains limited. Mac laptops are an exception, as battery repairs can continue for up to 10 years from the last sale date, subject to parts availability.
