Apple restocks iPhone SE on clearance site, all models available

AppleInsider

Apple on Wednesday restocked its online clearance store with iPhone SE models, once again offering fans of the popular small form-factor handset a crack at purchasing the device new nearly three years after it first debuted.

As of this writing, iPhone SE models are available in all four color options -- Space Gray, Silver, Gold and Rose Gold -- in both 32GB and 128GB capacities. The smartphones come unlocked and without a SIM card.

Prices are pegged at $249 for models with 32GB of storage and $299 for 128GB versions, representing respective discounts of $100 and $150 off original pricing.

Apple initially restarted sales of the discontinued handset through its online clearance store last Saturday, though stock on hand was depleted by Monday.

Introduced in March 2016, iPhone SE is an update on the iPhone 5 series and comes packing an A9 processor, four-inch display with Touch ID and upgraded communications components. The handset was discontinued last September alongside the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone X.

As Apple's iPhone becomes larger with each revamp, and with no sign of turning back, iPhone SE has built a small but not insignificant cult following of users who prefer compact handset designs. The SE has become a hot commodity since its discontinuation in 2018, though third-party retailers have a limited number in stock.

If and when Apple's supply runs dry, new models can be found on eBay, while Amazon.com and BuyBackWorld both sell refurbished versions at cut-rate prices.

theirongiant

Aaaaaaaaand they're gone.

This must be a planned exercise to gauge demand for the small phone.

edited January 2019

zinkdifferent

Maybe Apple will take the hint, that these smaller models are also very popular, and that not everyone wants every larger iPhones...? It’s obvious that everything Steve Jobs creates, is being systematically torn down - not by agency, but by ignorance.

mattinoz

theirongiant said:

Aaaaaaaaand they're gone.

This must be a planned exercise to gauge demand for the small phone.

Well given every long standing Apple "fan" basednews outlet picked up the release within hours suggests it's high. Speed the release soldout confirms it.

uffenman

This is a smart retroactive move. First of all, I LOVE THIS PHONE! AND....it is a silent seller. Now bring back the iPod shuffle and we will have tons of silent sales....

mac_128

Odd. When I checked AI, after all models sold out around 5:30 PM PST, this story wasn’t posted yet. Did they restock and sell out again?

edited January 2019

baconstang

Obviously no one wants a small iPhone... s/

pickurpoison

baconstang said:

Obviously no one wants a small iPhone... s/

Obviously Apple only had a few dozen to sell. 

pickurpoison

theirongiant said:

Aaaaaaaaand they're gone.

This must be a planned exercise to gauge demand for the small phone.

Apple had the SE for sale for two and a half years, I’m pretty sure they’re pretty hip to how well it sells; that’s very likely exactly why they cancelled it. 

If this were anything other than attempt to clear out old stock of a phone soon to be going into its fourth model year, Apple wouldn’t be selling a $450 product at the fire sale price of $300—an almost unheard of 33% discount. 

I know it sucks for fans of small phones, but there just isn’t a very large market for them. It’s not just Apple; even at the sub-$250 ASP of Android phones, there’s very little demand (and hence no manufacturer interested in supplying one). 

asdasd

Hmm, you'd think PickUrPoison said:

theirongiant said:

Aaaaaaaaand they're gone.

This must be a planned exercise to gauge demand for the small phone.

Apple had the SE for sale for two and a half years, I’m pretty sure they’re pretty hip to how well it sells; that’s very likely exactly why they cancelled it. 

If this were anything other than attempt to clear out old stock of a phone soon to be going into its fourth model year, Apple wouldn’t be selling a $450 product at the fire sale price of $300—an almost unheard of 33% discount. 

I know it sucks for fans of small phones, but there just isn’t a very large market for them. It’s not just Apple; even at the sub-$250 ASP of Android phones, there’s very little demand (and hence no manufacturer interested in supplying one). 

In general when you run out of stock, you run out of stock. These aren't refurbs right? So they could well be a test of the lower end of the market. 

georgebmac

Lately Apple has developed a trend where they start promoting a product in the weeks and months BEFORE they release a significant upgrade.

The SE has never been on the September schedule -- but the March schedule.

Could Apple be readying an SE form factor with an Xr type (full face) screen for March?
With a modern processor it could be the ideal phone for many -- because, while being small eternally, the screen would be close to that of an iPhone 8.

It would be an awesome product!

saarek

Not everyone wants a massive phone. Apple was right when they had the ads for the iPhone 5 demonstrating how easy it is to use one handed.

I like my iPhone XS Max, my wife loves her iPhone SE.

rogifan_new

I think there is a market for a smaller phone but more importantly there is a market for a cheaper phone. The SE was a great entry point into the Apple ecosystem. Not everyone wants or has the means to pay $750 or $999 for a phone. 

gatorguy

asdasd said:

Hmm, you'd think PickUrPoison said:

» show previous quotes

theirongiant said:

Aaaaaaaaand they're gone.

This must be a planned exercise to gauge demand for the small phone.

Apple had the SE for sale for two and a half years, I’m pretty sure they’re pretty hip to how well it sells; that’s very likely exactly why they cancelled it. 

If this were anything other than attempt to clear out old stock of a phone soon to be going into its fourth model year, Apple wouldn’t be selling a $450 product at the fire sale price of $300—an almost unheard of 33% discount. 

I know it sucks for fans of small phones, but there just isn’t a very large market for them. It’s not just Apple; even at the sub-$250 ASP of Android phones, there’s very little demand (and hence no manufacturer interested in supplying one). 

In general when you run out of stock, you run out of stock. These aren't refurbs right? So they could well be a test of the lower end of the market. 

Could be just clearing warehouses in stages, unless you would believe Apple had a million SE's built to test the market at a $300 price point. Maybe Apple really is thinking of playing in the budget (sub-$350) end of the market just as some other OEM's do. 

edited January 2019

esquirecats

Short term or test activities like this are problematic when reporting iPhone unit numbers. The artificially propped unit numbers falsely convey performance in the reporting quarter, then falsely conveys a product decline in the YoY quarter.

latko

EsquireCats said:

Short term or test activities like this are problematic when reporting iPhone unit numbers. The artificially propped unit numbers falsely convey performance in the reporting quarter, then falsely conveys a product decline in the YoY quarter.

Are you talking promille or probille errors here ?

gordy

all gone Was gonna snag one.

tyler82

I have a 7+ and want to downgrade to SE. Loved my 5s but it wasn’t powerful enough. The SE is still powerful with that great, classic form factor I love. I hope they sell more again soon. 

benji888

Keep checking, they will probably restock when more are refurbished, this could go on for a couple weeks or maybe longer.

benji888

Sorry, my bad,these are clearance, new items...but keep checking, it may be that they are selling online iPhone SE stock from various Apple stores returned to warehouse to make room for other items in the stores.

georgebmac

EsquireCats said:

Short term or test activities like this are problematic when reporting iPhone unit numbers. The artificially propped unit numbers falsely convey performance in the reporting quarter, then falsely conveys a product decline in the YoY quarter.

It's only problematic for the analysts.   Apple knows what it's doing (and what it did).