Apple discontinues the iPhone X, iPhone 6S and iPhone SE

Phil Schiller, Apple’s head of worldwide marketing, shows off the company’s updated iPhone lineup.Screenshot

• Apple announced three new iPhone models on Wednesday, but it also seems to have discontinued four older models.
• The company is no longer selling the iPhone X, 6S, 6S Plus or SE models through its website.
• The apparent discontinuation of the SE is unexpected; the model was popular with consumers looking for a smaller or inexpensive iPhone.
• The iPhone X only launched in November of 2017.

In addition to unveiling some new models, it looks like Apple also just pruned back its collection of iPhones.

And the discontinuation of one of those models may irk some longtime iPhone fans.

Soon after announcing the new XR and XS models at its press event Wednesday, Apple showed off its current lineup of iPhones. Notably missing: the iPhone X, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, and the iPhone SE. 

Those four models are also no longer available through Apple’s website.

Notably, the 6S line and the SE were the last models of iPhone that had a headphone jack — the newer models only sport Apple’s own Lightning connector. Starting with the iPhone 7, launched in late 2016, Apple ditched the headphone jack, infamously citing the “courage” to move forward with new audio technology. 

Company representatives did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

The iPhone SE was popular with consumers looking for a small or less expensive model.AppleIt’s no surprise that Apple would drop the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus. The company typically discontinues older models each year when it launches new ones. It started offering those phones in 2015, and they’ve since been replaced by the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models, both of which Apple still sells.

But Apple’s apparent decision to drop the iPhone SE is somewhat unexpected. The company introduced that model in 2016 and updated it last year with increased storage.

The SE was the last phone the company made in the style of its iPhone 5 and earlier models, and was popular among consumers who were looking for a relatively inexpensive and small iPhone.

The price of the SE started at $350. The least expensive phone in Apple’s lineup now is the iPhone 7, which starts at $450. But that phone as a 4.7-inch screen, compared with the 4-inch one in the SE.

As for the iPhone X — it’s notable that Apple would discontinue a product less than a year after its introduction, especially one as generally well-recieved as the iPhone X. However, the new iPhone XS is offered at the same starting price point of $999, and has better specs overall, perhaps making the original X redundant. 

In addition to dropping those iPhone models, Apple also appears to be backing away from AirPower, the wireless charging product it announced last year. The company seems to have dropped nearly all mentions of AirPower from its site.