Apple
iPhone 5 (repurposed as a dumbphone)
Listed so nobody buys one by mistake. With no VoLTE it cannot make calls in the US.
Secondhand Enthusiast imports and alternatives
$40
Second-hand only. The cheapest Swappa listing was $40 in September 2026; condition and storage move it around.
- TypeSlab
- SoftwareiOS
- Screen4" LCD
- Network2G / 3G / 4G
- Introduced 2012
Software and apps
- Operating system
- iOS 10.3.4 maximum: no security updates
- App store
- Partial
- Web browser
- Yes
- Yes
- Sideloading
- No
- No
- Spotify
- No
- Podcasts
- Yes
- Apple Music
- Yes
- Your own MP3s
- Yes
- RCS messaging
- No
- Group texts
- Yes
- Android Auto
- NoThis is an iPhone, so the car standard is CarPlay.
- Maps
- Apple Maps
Hardware
- Form factor
- Slab (touch)
- Screen
- 4-inch 1136-by-640 Retina LCD at 326 ppi, 800:1 contrast, 500 cd/m2
- Camera
- Yes
- Battery
- 1,440 mAh not user-replaceable
- USB-C
- No
- Headphone jack
- Yes
- Weight
- 112 g
Connectivity
- Network
- 2G / 3G / 4G
- VoLTE
- No
- SIM
- Physical SIMNano-SIM
- Wi-Fi hotspot
- Yes
- Bands
- GSM model A1428: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE bands 4 and 17. GSM model A1429: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE bands 1, 3 and 5. CDMA model A1429: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 13 and 25.
- Carriers
- No US carrier will carry its voice calls any more. AT&T began phasing out 3G on 22 February 2022 and says talk and data work only on devices that support 4G LTE and HD Voice, and it no longer activates phones without HD Voice. Verizon stopped activating non-VoLTE devices and decommissioned CDMA on 3 January 2023. T-Mobile retired 3G UMTS on 1 July 2022 and its 2G GSM network on 3 August 2026. Outside the US, 2G and 3G shutdowns vary by country, so check before relying on it.
Where to get one
- Regions
- Ships worldwide
- Countries
- Launched 21 September 2012 in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK, with 22 more countries on 28 September 2012. Second-hand only now.
- Also sold at
- Swappa and other second-hand markets
Notes
The radio is the problem. There is no VoLTE, so voice falls back to 2G or 3G, and US carriers have switched both off. iOS 10.3.4 is the end of the line, so current WhatsApp and Spotify will not install. Treat it as a Wi-Fi iPod. An iPhone SE, second or third generation, is the usual answer for the small-iPhone feel with working voice.
Last updated September 16, 2026.
