iPhone 5 or earlier What is the functionality of iphone 5s with newer OSs ?

[EricaV]

Greetings,

I have an unlocked iphone 5 I use for international travel with international SIM card. I have not updated the OS in a while and before I do I am hoping to get some feedback about whether to bother, or what OS might be the limit regarding how well it will function. In addition I have another iphone 5 that I am thinking about setting up for my 82 year old Mom. She currently has an iphone 4 and only uses it for phone and text. The OS on it is too old for her to even get yahoo mail. I would like her to be able to at least text, use the phone and get email on a phone.

Any information or feedback would be helpful regarding the iphone 5 and whether it will even function with the newer OSs.

Thanks in advance !!

 

[retta283]

iPhone 5 or 5S? If it's the 5, its max iOS version is 10, if it's the 5S its max iOS version is 12. iOS 10 is losing app support quick, and 12 is still fairly recent but will start losing app support with a year/2 years.

 

[now i see it]

iPhone 5 (not 5S) doesn't have TouchID so it's a royal pain to use compared to a 5S which does have TouchID. The iPhone 5 can only run iOS up to iOS 10, while the 5S can run iOS 12 a bit slowly. Nobody likes entering in their passcode every time the screen locks. My vote is get a 5S. Much better phone. The iPhone 5 is already too old and obsolete mainly because it's stuck at iOS 10.

 

[EricaV]

Thank you both-

I already own the two phones. 1 is is a 5S and the other is a 5. the 5S currently has iOS 10.3.3 and the 5 has 10.3.2.

So I hear that they are both probably maxed out.

Do you know of a good site to get old iOS software from ? Also- do you think it's worth trying to put the highest iOS 10 on it ? If so what would be the highest version ? I'm fine to just leave these alone as well and reset the 5S and keep the 10.3.3

Thanks in advance !!

 

[chrfr]

Do you know of a good site to get old iOS software from

It only comes from the App Store, if you're getting software legitimately.

 

[arfbsantoso]

I have 1st gen 5SE as backup phone. And iOS14 beta 7 on it.

 

[eyoungren]

I have 1st gen 5SE as backup phone. And iOS14 beta 7 on it.

There was never an iPhone 5SE. There is the 1st Gen iPhone SE and the Second Gen iPhone SE. The fact that the 1st Gen SE takes design cues from the iPhone 5 and 5s does not make it part of the iPhone 5 series. It's just an SE.

THAT is why you can run iOS 14 Beta.

 

[Julienne]

Thank you both-

I already own the two phones. 1 is is a 5S and the other is a 5. the 5S currently has iOS 10.3.3 and the 5 has 10.3.2.

So I hear that they are both probably maxed out.

Do you know of a good site to get old iOS software from ? Also- do you think it's worth trying to put the highest iOS 10 on it ? If so what would be the highest version ? I'm fine to just leave these alone as well and reset the 5S and keep the 10.3.3

Thanks in advance !!

Don’t update your 5S! It will be slow as hell on iOS 12. Leave them where they are.

 

[kevink2]

The 5s at 10.3.3 isn't maxed out.

I don't think you can get anything but the latest version of the OS that Apple released for these phones since older ones aren't signed by Apple anymore.

And depending on carrier, neither phone is optimal anymore. Don't support VoLTE. So can't activate anymore. And voice drops on ATT by Feb 2022. Verizon by December 31, 2020.

 

[EricaV]

Ugh, different question (thx for all the help on the iphone 5s).

I tried to take a short cut and just re-set and erase data through the apple system, but of course there is still old data and settings on it that shouldn't be there. Can someone remind me how to completely wipe and reformat this thing ?

 

[C DM]

Ugh, different question (thx for all the help on the iphone 5s).

I tried to take a short cut and just re-set and erase data through the apple system, but of course there is still old data and settings on it that shouldn't be there. Can someone remind me how to completely wipe and reformat this thing ?

What old data and setting are you still seeing? If you used the reset settings and erase content option on the phone itself (under Settings > General > Reset) that should clear things completely.

 

[eyoungren]

Ugh, different question (thx for all the help on the iphone 5s).

I tried to take a short cut and just re-set and erase data through the apple system, but of course there is still old data and settings on it that shouldn't be there. Can someone remind me how to completely wipe and reformat this thing ?

I usually put my phones into DFU mode and then do a restore/upgrade from there. It's probably not necessary, but has always worked for me.

If, after the restore you are then restoring from a backup then the stuff you are trying to wipe will return. Additionally, iCloud stores some date, so if you sign in with the same Apple ID you can expect certain data to return.

 

[ScreenSavers]

Do update the 5S. The 5S runs very well on iOS 12 for its age, and is compatible with at least 90% of apps.

 

[EricaV]

I usually put my phones into DFU mode and then do a restore/upgrade from there. It's probably not necessary, but has always worked for me.

If, after the restore you are then restoring from a backup then the stuff you are trying to wipe will return. Additionally, iCloud stores some date, so if you sign in with the same Apple ID you can expect certain data to return.

THANKS- that's what happened. I had to sign in with an old apple id in order to successfully sign out of it. Then even if you sign in with a new apple ID some straggling data seems to be saved from the old. I was able to sign out of all apple IDs and erase/reset again. Seems to have worked this time. Thanks again

 

[EricaV]

What old data and setting are you still seeing? If you used the reset settings and erase content option on the phone itself (under Settings > General > Reset) that should clear things completely.

Figured out what happened. Since apple makes you sign in with an ID in order to then sign out of it, some data gets left behind from the ID you are trying to ultimately remove. I was able to sign out of all IDs before doing a second erase/reset. Seems to have worked. Thanks again

 

[EricaV]

The 5s at 10.3.3 isn't maxed out.

I don't think you can get anything but the latest version of the OS that Apple released for these phones since older ones aren't signed by Apple anymore.

And depending on carrier, neither phone is optimal anymore. Don't support VoLTE. So can't activate anymore. And voice drops on ATT by Feb 2022. Verizon by December 31, 2020.

Helpful to know this. I'll definitely need to get my 82 year old Mom a new phone by 2/22 !! Thanks again.

 

[kevink2]

Helpful to know this. I'll definitely need to get my 82 year old Mom a new phone by 2/22 !! Thanks again.

The original SE will likely be out of support by then, but should still work with ATT (supports VoLTE) if your mother likes that size.