Buy Refurbished iPhone SE 1st Generation in the UAE

The original iPhone SE from 2016 is the smallest iPhone Apple ever made: a 4-inch phone that disappears into any pocket, with an aluminum body, Touch ID, and a proper 12MP camera. Today it is the lowest-priced iPhone in our store, and an honest page about it has to say clearly who it still suits and who should buy newer. Every unit at Phonebot is tested, IMEI checked, graded, and covered by warranty, like the rest of our refurbished iPhones.

Which iPhone SE Is This? Check Before You Buy

Three very different phones share the SE name, and buyers mix them up daily:

• iPhone SE 1st generation (2016): the tiny 4-inch model with a headphone jack.
• iPhone SE 2020, also called SE 2: the 4.7-inch model with the iPhone 11's A13 chip, still running the current iOS.
• iPhone SE 3rd generation (2022): the same 4.7-inch body with the A15 chip and 5G, the SE with the most years of updates ahead.

If you want an SE as your everyday phone, one of those two newer models is almost certainly the right buy. Keep reading if you specifically want the original.

Why People Still Buy the Original SE

Demand for this phone never fully died, for reasons that make sense once you hear them. It is the last truly tiny iPhone, and nothing made since matches a 4-inch screen for one-handed use or small hands. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which no current iPhone offers, so wired headphones plug straight in. It costs almost nothing, which makes it a worry-free basics phone for calls and messages, a glovebox or travel backup, or a first phone where a parent wants a real phone without a real price. And for Apple collectors, it is a design classic in space gray, silver, gold, and rose gold.

Read This Honestly Before You Buy

This is a 2016 phone, and we will not pretend otherwise. Apple ended major iOS updates for the 1st generation SE years ago, and app makers gradually drop support for the iOS versions it runs. Messaging and everyday apps that work today may lose support ahead, and modern security patches no longer arrive. The camera has no Portrait or Night mode, there is no wireless charging or water resistance rating, and the battery is the smallest Apple has ever fitted in an iPhone of this class.

What that means in practice: buy it as a basic device, a backup, a first phone for calls and family location, or a collector's piece. Do not buy it as your main phone for banking, work, and daily apps; a refurbished SE 2020 costs a little more and does that job far better. We would rather say this plainly than take a sale that comes back.

iPhone SE 1st Gen Price in the UAE

This is the price floor of our iPhone range: no iPhone we sell costs less. Within that, price depends on storage, from 16GB up to 128GB, condition grade, and color, with rose gold often the first to sell out. Prices move with stock, so the live listings are the accurate answer. Sort low to high and you will likely find this phone at the top of the results.

Specs at a Glance

• Display: 4-inch Retina
• Chip: A9, shared with the iPhone 6s
• Security: Touch ID home button
• Camera: 12MP rear with 4K video, front camera for calls
• Audio: 3.5mm headphone jack, a feature no modern iPhone has
• Storage: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB
• Colors: space gray, silver, gold, and rose gold
• SIM: single physical SIM, unlocked for du, e& (Etisalat), Virgin Mobile, and international SIMs

Tested and Graded Like Every Phone We Sell

Age does not change our process. Every 1st gen SE passes a full hardware inspection, an IMEI and blacklist check, Activation Lock verification, and a complete data wipe. Batteries are checked and graded strictly: at least 85% health on A-Grade and 80% on B-Grade, which matters more on this phone than any other we stock. Warranty of up to 12 months and 7-day returns apply, delivery is free on orders above AED 299 across the UAE, and you can see the phone first at our store in BurJuman Centre, Dubai.

Weighing every option at the budget end? Browse all refurbished phones in the UAE and sort by price, low to high.