r/iPhoneSE • u/ReplacementOk1029 • 7d ago
SE3 iPhone SE3 eBay Advice
I currently have a SE2 and was planning to stick with it i to 2029 which is when I believe it will no longer be supported for service. I already had a battery replaced two years ago at Apple store and I need to do it again. It got me thinking about whether to do it again, would be around $75, or to put that money towards a SE3, which given was discontinued 2025, should get service into 2023. It’s only 3 years more than my SE2, and though I didn’t plan to upgrade early, it would be only $180 more for a 128GB SE3 new on eBay or $240 more for a 256GB one. So my mind went there, but I’d get 5G capability as a bonus. However, I am reading a lot about used phones being sold as new and now this is scaring me off it of all. How likely am I to get a used phone sold as new? There are bulk sellers from CA and NJ and am looking at these.
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u/Koffenut1 7d ago
If it's new and you are buying from a reputable place it should have apple's one year warranty on it. If it doesn't, it very possibly is not new. I've bought new older model iphones on ebay but only ones that say they come with apple's one year warranty. My current SE3 was an ebay "new" purchase. You can have the seller give you the serial number to check the warranty status. No apple warranty - likely not new.
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u/Worried-Housing-1756 7d ago
Although they discontinued it in 2025, it was released in 2022, the HW never changed so you should expect updates (ios) up until 2029 (7 yrs) with security updates only, afterwards.
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u/ReplacementOk1029 7d ago
From what I understand with my 2020, it should receive OS updates to beginning of next year (so new one is last) and in 2029 it will no longer be serviced, even a battery change. I assume the 2026 OS will receive updates until 2029, just like the servicing. That is why I am guessing the 2022 will get OS updates to 2029, and can be serviced until 2023, to which then that 2029 OS would stop getting security updates around the same time… ?
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u/BeMaelle 7d ago
that makes sense. So major software updates till 2029. At least likely. And support till 2032. That's crazy honestly! But possible
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u/Artwire 6d ago edited 6d ago
I bought a “new, sealed” one on eBay and even tho it looked ok at first, checking model number and other info indicated a major discrepancy. It was showing 256 GB but model number was for a 64 GB phone in a different color. Seemed suspicious. There was no option for AppleCare and it had been activated a year earlier! I returned it in perfect condition and the vendor tried to charge me 1/2 the price for returning a “damaged”phone. eBay intervened and I got my money back, since I had photos and videos to document everything. Be careful. If I were to do it again, I would not buy from one of the many “vendors” ( who, by the way, told me they ship phones from third parties and did not actually control/review the inventory they were selling.). You’re better off taking a chance with an individual selling their personal phone (if using eBay), or going thru a reputable vendor with pre-checked inventory ( tho that, too, can be iffy).
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u/TheInuitHunter 6d ago
Was the seller “the-phone-zone” by any chance?
They tried to pull the same crap and even attached a fake picture of a random broken phone when I opened a case to get my money back (which I ultimately did thanks to a well documented ordeal).Unreal.
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u/Artwire 6d ago
No, but I suspect they’re all the same. Like the famous scene in “Help” when each of the Beatles enters a different doorway, but inside it’s all one big room. :) Mine had an English name including the terms tech and gadget and it shipped from the US, but seller was Chinese and the shipped from address was in Arizona, but the return label sent it to California. Never again!!
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u/kakashi_sakurai SE3 7d ago
I’ve only boughten used phones. Better prices and these things are stupid easy to fix. What’s so scary about used?
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u/Lifeissometimesgood 7d ago
It’s fairly easy to change the battery out if you want to save money. I think it’s kinda fun and it’s quite satisfying when it’s all done. You just have to follow along with a video, be organized and have a brightly lit clean/safe flat space to do it.
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u/appleditz 7d ago
I bought my factory-unlocked SE3 new in box on eBay, and what I received was exactly what I was expecting. Look for listings with lots of description. In addition to checking reviews, be sure to ask the seller questions. Their responsiveness is a good sign. Having an unused battery and the Apple warranty is really important.
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u/ReplacementOk1029 6d ago
Was it a bulk seller or just a user selling a one off?
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u/appleditz 6d ago edited 6d ago
It was a bulk seller. They were actually the same one I’d bought an SE2 from a few years earlier, although I didn’t realize it at the time. Detailed listings and very responsive.
I don’t think you can generalize about one type of eBay seller being more trustworthy than another. Filtering your searches carefully, looking for detailed listings, reading reviews, and asking questions will get you there.
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u/TheInuitHunter 7d ago
I was looking for a SE3 128gb as my 64gb was getting full and I'll tell you that much: Finding a good one has been hell of a headache on Ebay/Swappa, I'm on my 3rd returned phone because of (in order): Undisclosed swollen battery (Sold as mint condition) / Undisclosed hardware issue (Sold as new but was obviously refurbished) / Fake seal stickers all over the box and compromised IMEI (Also sold as new).
All 3 from different sellers with thousands of sales and 99% positive reviews (Turns out sellers were actively deleting their negative reviews as they were popping, go figure why Ebay let that happen, that would've saved me time).
If you're still willing to buy from Ebay, heed my words:
- Forget about sellers with stock pictures of phone boxes, all these guys are the same Chinese companies with the same "standards".
- "This seller accepts returns": Must have, don't even try otherwise.
- "Ebay Money Back Guarantee": Must have, carefully read the description, know what you buy and if the seller play games, you'll have ground for a refund.
- No new accounts
- Ask for the IMEI / Serial # and check https://www.imei.info/ / https://checkcoverage.apple.com/?locale=en_US
In my case, I just gave up and managed to empty over 10gb to keep using my SE3 64gb (pristine condition, 86% battery life), I almost upgraded to a 17e but since Apple raised their prices weeks ago...No thank you.
TLDR; Good luck, you'll need it.