We all want to go back in time sometimes. For some people, that means going back to watch the moon landing, or to see the pyramids being built, or to witness dinosaurs cutting about on a prehistoric Earth. For me, it just means being able to use my iPhone 5s again.
In 2013, Apple split the iPhone lineup for the first time, releasing both the cheap, plastic-coated iPhone 5c and more powerful iPhone 5s, which carried forward the premium design of the iPhone 5 with some new upgrades and more powerful internals.
Okay, let’s address the obvious right off the bat: I could technically use my iPhone 5s today. Its battery is long-dead, but with a replacement, I could get it switched on and running as it did in its four-year stint as my daily driver.
However, as I’ve recently covered, that wouldn’t be the smartest move now that the iPhone 5s is outside its security coverage window. In 2025, the oldest version of iOS Apple provided any kind of security update for was iOS 15, whereas my iPhone 5s is forever stuck on iOS 12. As such, connecting to any kind of mobile network would put me at risk of attacks by hackers and other bad actors.
So it seems that really using my favorite Apple handset of all time will remain a pleasant daydream for now – but why exactly am I so hung up on a phone that came out more than 10 years ago? What exactly is so special about the iPhone 5s?
I’m glad I asked – let me break down why the iPhone 5s, with its 4-inch screen, minuscule battery, and outdated cameras, still holds a big place in my heart.
The part of the iPhone 5s – and other early iPhones – I miss most is its design. Released at the tail end of the first wave of square-edged phone design, I have always found the iPhone 5s to be a supremely beautiful and ergonomic piece of technology.
I mean, just look at it: the rear panel fits the camera system into a wedge of glass, mirrored on the bottom of the phone, giving the unit a symmetry that most modern phone makers don’t seem to consider. And Apple has always been the master of gold colorways – I never fell out of love with the rear panel or the reflective trim on the front of the unit. Like today’s iPhone Air, the iPhone 5s can often feel more like a piece of jewellery.
The curved edges and small frame made it easy to hold, and at 112g it weighed about half as much as today’s top-tier model, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I remember unlocking the phone with the Touch ID-enabled home button before I had even flicked the phone out of my pocket.
Speaking of which, I have never found Face ID to be as quick, convenient, or reliable as Touch ID was. To this day, I much prefer using the in-display fingerprint scanner on the best Android phones compared to Apple’s iconic face-scanning system.
And on the topic of displays, the iPhone 5s sports a 4-inch 640p panel with a pixel density of 326ppi. Though I’m a fan of the huge displays on today’s best phones, I’d also stand up and say the iPhone 5s is as large as we ever needed a phone to be. I never found that display limiting, and it wasn’t quite so easy to lose hours in as the phablets I walk around with today.
In fact, though phone design has become more focused and advanced over time, we're now very much past the point of thinking about 'necessary' upgrades. The iPhone 5s is remarkable to me because of this split – it wasn't the first premium iPhone, but it was the first higher-end iPhone in Apple's yearly lineup, and a lot of its value came from its luxurious design and conveniences like Touch ID.
Admittedly, I think I would miss the incredible battery life and superb cameras of today’s phones if I did actually switch back. The iPhone 5s sports an 8MP rear camera, 5MP selfie camera, and a 1,560mAh battery – compare that to the iPhone 17 Pro, with its three 48MP rear cameras, 18MP Center Stage selfie camera, and approximately 5,000mAh battery, and it’s not really a close contest.
There's also a solid chance that my feelings on how we used our phones back in the 2010s compared to now are getting wrapped up in my memories of the iPhone 5s itself – if I'd been using it in the current era of AI slop and social media brainrot, my view of the handset might not be so rose-tinted.
Still, there's a part of me that secretly hopes for the return of iPhone 5s-style handsets. Maybe we'll see a revival fuelled by zillenial nostalgia one day, one for the hipsters of years to come. Until then, I'll have to make do with the huge screens on modern phones.
To keep this blast from the past rolling, feel free to check out our classic iPhone 5s review. For newer models, our guide to the best iPhones has you covered. Be sure to let us know which classic phone you would switch back to in the comments below.
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