iPhone SE (2016) First Gen SE: How much longer viable?

[rwh63]

well, i waited, like many, for the iphone SE4. instead, we got a $600 16e. i wish they had kept it an SE named model. or, it would be great if they would create a dedicated SE line that caters to what that crowd looks for, esp. price and size.

so, i cling to my first gen. SE. it only has 32gb of storage (i do utilize icloud). the software has topped out at ios 15.8. how much longer can this phone at that level of software continue to function day to day? i could update the browser to firefox or something. i like that my phone has a home button, headphone jack, small size, etc.

 

[Bigwaff]

so, i cling to my first gen. SE.

You are asking how long 2016 iPhone SE will be “viable” to use? A 9 yr old mobile phone? I’m surprised you can do more than make phone calls right now.

 

[Reverend Benny]

well, i waited, like many, for the iphone SE4. instead, we got a $600 16e. i wish they had kept it an SE named model. or, it would be great if they would create a dedicated SE line that caters to what that crowd looks for, esp. price and size.

so, i cling to my first gen. SE. it only has 32gb of storage (i do utilize icloud). the software has topped out at ios 15.8. how much longer can this phone at that level of software continue to function day to day? i could update the browser to firefox or something. i like that my phone has a home button, headphone jack, small size, etc.

Since iOS 15 and 16 don't recevice any updates anymore I'd recommend to get a new phone.
See if you can get your hands on a SE3, I know its bigger but its the smallest phone you can find for now that has most of the things you list (no headphone jack tho).

Was messin around with an iPhone SE2 the other day and its a nice little phone. (same FF).

 

[FeliApple]

Probably two or three more years of decent compatibility barring Safari, for which you’ll have to use a different device.

iOS 12 is practically incompatible by now, even for my standards. I’ll be upgrading next month from my iPhone Xʀ on iOS 12, so I reckon iOS 15 will suffer a similar fate two or three years from now.

 

[rwh63]

You are asking how long 2016 iPhone SE will be “viable” to use? A 9 yr old mobile phone? I’m surprised you can do more than make phone calls right now.

i can do pretty much anything i need to do up to this point. at some point i will start running into unsupported browser issues with websites.

 

[turbineseaplane]

You are asking how long 2016 iPhone SE will be “viable” to use? A 9 yr old mobile phone? I’m surprised you can do more than make phone calls right now.

They work really well actually

Even the Apple Podcasts App continues to sync and work perfectly for me between my Sequoia Mac Mini M4, latest iOS iPhone 13 Min and my various SE1s

 

[nburwell]

I’m sure there are some authorized resellers who are still selling the SE3–or you could look on Swappa and find one lightly used. Although as long as your OG SE is still running fine without issue, but you’ll probably still want to upgrade to a newer device before iOS 15 becomes incompatible for apps and such.

 

[winxmac]

iPhone SE - Technical Specifications

iPhone SE 2016 is VoLTE capable subject to carrier support. It will be close to a dumb phone once apps no longer work with iOS 15.x but you can still sync music to it using iTunes or Finder.

 

[bzgnyc2]

well, i waited, like many, for the iphone SE4. instead, we got a $600 16e. i wish they had kept it an SE named model. or, it would be great if they would create a dedicated SE line that caters to what that crowd looks for, esp. price and size.

so, i cling to my first gen. SE. it only has 32gb of storage (i do utilize icloud). the software has topped out at ios 15.8. how much longer can this phone at that level of software continue to function day to day? i could update the browser to firefox or something. i like that my phone has a home button, headphone jack, small size, etc.

I am in the same boat and the main issue I have noticed lately is slowly dropping app/etc support. Several apps have followed the Apple model of only supporting OS versions N-2 - N which means some started requiring iOS 16 late last year.

I recently ran into this when I tried out some new wireless earbuds. Couldn't download its control app even though I am sure it was developed and ran fine on iOS from years ago. Since key controls (such as microphone gain) were only accessible from the app the earbuds were useless to me.

For other apps I had already downloaded, the last versions still compatible iOS 15 work fine and life continues just fine without updates. However, at some point I might want to add some new apps and won't be able to for no good reason.

Safari/WebKit support is/will become an increasing problem. I already avoid browsing the web with mine for security reasons and it's not much better browsing with other browsers since Apple doesn't let them use anything but the builtin WebKit.

Unfortunately the combination of Apple's policies undermine the idea that our phones are as useful as the day we bought them. It's a lumpy lease model.

To put a number on your question, I suspect these phone will be useless before 2030 and more practically we have 1-3 years left depending on the apps used. If for example WhatsApp is critical to you and Meta drops support for iOS 15 in a year or so and drops access to its network from older versions of its app after that, you'll have to replace it (but maybe there will be a compelling Android option by that time). As much as I like this phone, it's on track to degenerate into an iPod.

 

[rwh63]

i like the form factor of the SE1. i had a 4S, and felt comfortable transitioning. it would be nice to have the SE1 dimensions with a larger useable screen size, but i'm ok with it as is. thinking about shopping for mint space gray 128gb SE1, now that the 16e is underwhelming. i actually have my original space grey 128 SE1 that i had had Apple put a new battery in to, but then i had a very bad screen break occur. had thought about seeking out a third party screen replacement service, but would probably cost the same to get a nice used unit instead.

 

[turbineseaplane]

i like the form factor of the SE1. i had a 4S, and felt comfortable transitioning. it would be nice to have the SE1 dimensions with a larger useable screen size, but i'm ok with it as is. thinking about shopping for mint space gray 128gb SE1, not that the 16e is underwhelming. i actually have my original space grey 128 SE1 that i had had Apple put a new battery in to, but then i had a very bad screen break occur. had though about seeking out a third party screen replacement service, but would probably cost the same to get a nice used unit instead.

I use SE1's every day for podcast listening around the house and on walks

It's almost "bad for me", as I get daily reminders of how much I dislike larger phones (even my 13 Mini!)

 

[JMStearnsX2]

I ordered a 14 Pro a few years ago, instead of the 13 mini (which was discounted being an older model). I really regret that decision, I wish I would have stuck to what I wanted and not gotten upsold with "more features". Looking at finding a 13 mini to replace my 14 Pro is difficult, most that I'm finding are abused or absurd asking price ($600+). I think my favorite form factor of all was the 4s with the 5s/SE1 a close runner up. I'd give a good amount of money for a small phone again, I remember the crazy phone innovations in the 2000's. Some were over the top, but some genuinely cool & fun designs. Made you smile when you used them, I think that's what I miss about the old Apple the most. It's become too "safe", sterile even. I miss tech being whimsical & delightful to use.

Sorry, I'll show myself out now...

 

[turbineseaplane]

I ordered a 14 Pro a few years ago, instead of the 13 mini (which was discounted being an older model). I really regret that decision, I wish I would have stuck to what I wanted and not gotten upsold with "more features". Looking at finding a 13 mini to replace my 14 Pro is difficult, most that I'm finding are abused or absurd asking price ($600+). I think my favorite form factor of all was the 4s with the 5s/SE1 a close runner up. I'd give a good amount of money for a small phone again, I remember the crazy phone innovations in the 2000's. Some were over the top, but some genuinely cool & fun designs. Made you smile when you used them, I think that's what I miss about the old Apple the most. It's become too "safe", sterile even. I miss tech being whimsical & delightful to use.

Sorry, I'll show myself out now...

Not sure where you are, but keep an eye out on FB Marketplace or CL

I see 13 Minis come along for really good deals and in good shape since they are so "old"

Ugh! "a 13?!?" Gross .. Old ... Give it away

 

[JMStearnsX2]

Not sure where you are, but keep an eye out on FB Marketplace or CL

I see 13 Minis come along for really good deals and in good shape since they are so "old"

Ugh! "a 13?!?" Gross .. Old ... Give it away

I'm in Central Florida, I'm not on social media so I didn't think about marketplace. I'll have to borrow my wife's computer and check... LOL

 

[Falhófnir]

i like the form factor of the SE1. i had a 4S, and felt comfortable transitioning. it would be nice to have the SE1 dimensions with a larger useable screen size, but i'm ok with it as is. thinking about shopping for mint space gray 128gb SE1, not that the 16e is underwhelming. i actually have my original space grey 128 SE1 that i had had Apple put a new battery in to, but then i had a very bad screen break occur. had though about seeking out a third party screen replacement service, but would probably cost the same to get a nice used unit instead.

You can continue to use it as long as you want, but apps will start to lose compatibility now it's a few OS generations behind. I don't think it's quite as bad as earlier devices where you'd be high and dry after year or two after losing OS support.

As a longer term plan, it sounds like your upgrade options eventually would be a SE 3 (just discontinued but still available to buy new) which comes with 5G and the A15 chip so should be supported a good while longer, and retains the home button, or the 13 mini, which is a little older but I think still available refurbished from Apple. The mini has the new all-screen design, same A15 chip and is slightly smaller than the SE 3.

 

[Starfia]

My iPhone SE's battery is about over, but I still love it and use it on power to play music around the home, display output from a Web app, and a number of other little things. I think people could continue to get by with it depending on their specific software habits.

I don't think I'm ever selling or giving this thing away even if it completely dies; it's too much a symbol of a time that's sadly slipping away.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm in Central Florida, I'm not on social media so I didn't think about marketplace. I'll have to borrow my wife's computer and check... LOL

To be clear, I don't use FB for anything at all, other than Marketplace

 

[cjsuk]

You are asking how long 2016 iPhone SE will be “viable” to use? A 9 yr old mobile phone? I’m surprised you can do more than make phone calls right now.

I've got a 6s here that is still mostly ok!

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

That thing was done years ago

 

[maxoakland]

I know someone who still uses a first gen SE. I was surprised but also kinda love it. It's so tiny compared to today's phones but it's still a phone and still doesa lot of the stuff you want. You won't be able to use the most recent apps but if you use it more like a feature phone that also takes pictures and videos, it'll be great

 

[Fedsbackhand]

I have a couple of them. Not interested in upgrading.

Will need a new work phone though as WhatsApp will stop in May (5S).

 

[brofkand]

I don't think carriers are shutting down their 4G networks any time soon, so you should still be able to use the original SE for quite some time to come. Apps will slowly stop working as time goes on however. There's no way to predict that, though.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I use SE1's every day for podcast listening around the house and on walks

It's almost "bad for me", as I get daily reminders of how much I dislike larger phones (even my 13 Mini!)

I sometimes still miss my iPod Touch 2G.
That and the iPhone X were my fave iPhone type designs.
I love my 15PM but it’s hard to ignore the idea that the design is just so utilitarian

 

[Falhófnir]

I sometimes still miss my iPod Touch 2G.
That and the iPhone X were my fave iPhone type designs.

The iPod touch 5-7 still amazes me with how svelte it is, almost not there at all. If they could have made that work as an iPhone (particularly an all screen one) that really would have been incredible! Also it's weird with the earlier iPod touches stainless was the cheap material and they've turned that on its head in recent times.

 

[v0lume4]

The answer is: when the apps you need to use no longer work.

My mother recently upgraded her iPhone 7 Plus and it was still on iOS 15 like yours. Most of her apps still were supported, though she had a couple or so of non-mission critical apps to stop working. Every major numbered iOS update, you run the risk of more apps dropping support. It's great how many are still supporting iOS 15. So we'll see later this year which additional apps drop support for iOS 15.

And let me be clear: even when your favorite apps stop receiving updates from the App Store, many of them will STILL continue to work even though the "app version" is out of date. When the app itself stops letting you access what you need (banking info, etc etc.), well, then you've finally hit the point where you have to start looking at an upgrade, unless you can do without those specific apps.

So, in short, just keep on using it until apps you need no longer work upon opening.

Edit - When the times comes and you just have to upgrade, see if you can get an SE3 on the cheap. If you can get it really cheap (read: maybe used), it could be worth it. Then that'll hold you over for a little while and you'd still get to keep the home button and all (no headphone jack though). I have one and I love that phone.