, iPad Pro 2nd gen, Apple Watch Series 4 Nike & Hermès, and Beats Pill 2.0 obsolete, ending hardware support.){kind=link}
Highlights
- Apple has added five products to its obsolete list.
- The newly added products include the original iPhone SE, iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (2nd gen), Apple Watch Series 4 Nike and Hermès editions and Beats Pill 2.0.
- Apple devices become obsolete after seven years off sale, which means Apple and service providers stop offering hardware repairs or parts.
Apple has once again updated its official list of vintage and obsolete devices. The Cupertino Giant has added five more products to the obsolete category. The newly included products range from the first-generation iPhone SE and second-generation iPad Pro to specific variants of the Apple Watch and a popular Beats accessory. Here’s everything we know about this.
Apple Adds More Models To Obsolete Product List
Apple has now marked the following devices as obsolete –
- iPhone SE (original edition)
- iPad Pro 12.9-inch (second generation)
- Apple Watch Series 4 Hermès models
- Apple Watch Series 4 Nike models
- Beats Pill 2.0
Interstingly, the standard Apple Watch Series 4 has not been added to the obsolete list, even though the Nike and Hermès editions have.
According to Apple, a product becomes obsolete once “the company has stopped distributing them for sale for over seven years.” When a device is moved to this list, hardware servicing is discontinued entirely. As Apple explains, “Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products. 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.”
Let’s take a look at the newly Obsolete list.
iPhone SE (original edition)
Launched in March 2016, the original iPhone SE was beloved for its compact form factor, inspired largely by the iPhone 5s design. It featured a 4-inch screen, Touch ID home button, and an aluminium-glass build with chamfered edges. Despite its familiar design, it carried the powerful A9 chip from the iPhone 6s series. At launch, Apple’s then–marketing chief Phil Schiller said, “Everyone who wants a smaller phone is going to love iPhone SE.”
Apple later introduced second and third-generation SE models in April 2020 and March 2022, adopting the iPhone 8–style design. The lineup was eventually discontinued in February 2025 with the iPhone 16e taking its place.
iPad Pro 12.9-inch
As for the second-generation iPad Pro, it launched in 2017 as the first Apple device equipped with a ProMotion 120Hz display. This feature only made its way to iPhones with the iPhone 13 Pro lineup in 2021. Apple later expanded 120Hz support to even the base iPhone 17 models earlier this year.
Apple Watch Series 4
The Apple Watch Series 4 was introduced in 2018 and holds the distinction of being the first smartwatch to support ECG readings directly from the wrist. However, it was discontinued just a year later following the arrival of the Watch Series 5.
If you own a vintage Apple device, its shift to the obsolete list may come sooner than expected. Apple marks products as vintage five years after they are removed from sale, leaving less than two years before the current vintage lineup transitions into full obsolete status.
FAQs
Q1. Which Apple devices were recently marked obsolete?
Answer. Apple added the original iPhone SE, iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (2nd gen), Apple Watch Series 4 Nike and Hermès editions, and the Beats Pill 2.0 to its obsolete list.
Q2. What does it mean when a product becomes obsolete at Apple?
Answer. Once a product is obsolete, Apple discontinues all hardware servicing, and service providers cannot order parts for it. (Mac laptops may have limited battery repair eligibility for up to 10 years, subject to parts availability.)
Q3. Why are only certain Apple Watch Series 4 models obsolete?
Answer. Apple has marked the Nike and Hermès editions of the Apple Watch Series 4 as obsolete, while the standard Series 4 remains excluded from the list.