Hundreds of Apple devices have now been classed as obsolete, which means you won’t be able to get official support or repairs for them.
Given Apple’s history stretches back to the 1970s, it’s inevitable that a huge number of older products would eventually fall off the support map.
The company’s first widely sold machine was the Apple I (Apple-1), which launched in July 1976 with a price tag of $666.
Created by Steve Wozniak and promoted by Steve Jobs, it was sold as a bare circuit board—an early milestone on Apple’s path to becoming one of the world’s biggest tech brands.
Jump ahead to 2026 and Apple has put out some of the most recognisable consumer gadgets around, including the iPhone, the MacBook range, and the iPod.
Only recently, Apple revealed its newest handset, the iPhone 17e, which comes with 256GB of base storage, a faster A19 chip, and MagSafe support.
But if you’re still using the original iPhone SE, there’s a catch.
Back in December, that model was added to Apple’s obsolete list—putting it beyond standard hardware service options.
Apple is known for devices that stay usable for years, with plenty of people keeping older iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks long after newer versions are released. Still, once parts become scarce and technology moves on, the official repair window eventually closes.
Apple says a product is considered obsolete when it stopped being distributed for sale more than seven years ago. The one exception is Monster-branded Beats products, which are treated as obsolete no matter when they were bought.
“Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products,” Apple explains.
“Mac laptops may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair period for up to 10 years from when the product was last distributed for sale, subject to parts availability.”
The original iPhone SE wasn’t the only item impacted. In December, Apple also moved several other products onto the obsolete list, including second-generation iPad Pros, the Nike and Hermès versions of the Apple Watch Series 4, and the Beats Pill 2.0.
As a result, it’s possible you have older Apple gear at home that’s already classed as obsolete without you realising.
Separately, Apple also uses a “vintage” label for products it stopped distributing more than five years ago but less than seven years ago—devices that are older, but not quite at the full cut-off yet.
Below is the section introducing the full rundown of devices Apple now considers obsolete.
