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Apple just quietly killed off a bunch of older iPhone and Apple Watch models — here are the products that are gone forever

Apple's annual hardware event may have been an exciting day for gadget lovers, as three new iPhones were introduced. But it was a sad day for those diehard fans of Apple's older products, as the Cupertino tech giant took the chance to clean house.

Apple quietly killed off half a dozen of its older devices, including some beloved iPhone models and the fanciest Apple Watch - it even eliminated the iPhone X, which first hit store shelves less than a year ago.

Here are all the devices Apple just discontinued.


Apple Watch Series 1

The Apple Watch Series 1 debuted in 2016, alongside the higher-end Apple Watch Series 2. Up until Wednesday, Apple still sold the Series 1, positioning it as a cheaper alternative to the Apple Watch Series 3, which was announced in 2017. Apple already quietly discontinued the Series 2 last year.

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The Apple Watch Series 1 was something of a budget option - until it was discontinued this week, the Series 1 sold for $US249.

These days, you can still find it at third-party retailers like Walmart for $US179.


Apple Watch Edition

Introduced when Apple first launched its smartwatch in 2015, the super-premium Apple Watch Edition came with an 18-karat gold case and started at $US10,000.

In 2016, Apple replaced the gold cases with ceramic ones and lowered the starting price of the Watch Edition to $US1,250.

Now, the Apple Watch Edition has been removed from Apple's lineup entirely. But it's not much of a surprise - when Apple announced its new smartwatch operating system in June, the Edition and original Apple Watch were not included in the list of devices eligible for the update.


iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

The iPhone 6s and its larger sister phone, the iPhone 6s Plus, were released in 2015, making them 3-year-old phones at this point.

While there wasn't much reason to buy them anymore in terms of specs, both phones had a major selling point: They were two of the only three models of iPhone being made that still sported a headphone jack. Starting with 2016's iPhone 7, all newer iPhones have only had Apple's own Lightning port connector.

Up until Wednesday, Apple was selling the iPhone 6s for $US450, and the iPhone 6s Plus for $US550. If you're an iPhone 6s devotee, you can still buy the devices through your carrier, or find refurbished versions online. But it doesn't seem like Apple will be making any more.


iPhone SE

Until it was killed off on Wednesday, the iPhone SE had been a rare budget-conscious device from Apple, priced at $US350. It was smaller and more lightweight than other iPhones, too, still sporting the well-regarded iPhone 5 design. Plus, it had a headphone jack.

It's surprising that Apple discontinued the iPhone SE, since it's only a 2-year-old phone, and Apple just gave it an upgrade last year.

The cheapest iPhone is now the iPhone 7, which starts at $US449.


iPhone X

Perhaps the most shocking news to come out of the iPhone event was that Apple has decided to kill off the iPhone X.

The year-old phone was Apple's flagship product last year, and it was warmly received by critics.One would expect Apple to discount the phone rather than eliminate it altogether. And yet, it's been relegated to the scrap heap of history.

Still, this year's iPhone XS renders the iPhone X redundant - it has a nearly identical design, with improved specs, at the same starting price point of $US999.