Apple
iPhone 5 (repurposed as a dumbphone)
Listed so nobody buys one by mistake. No VoLTE means no calls on most networks.
Price not listed
Second-hand only
- 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
- Nosame reason
- Spotify
- Nomodern app versions no longer support iOS 10
- RCS messaging
- No
Hardware
- Form factor
- Slab (touch)
- Screen
- 4" LCD
- Camera
- Yes
- Battery
- Unknown not user-replaceable
- USB-C
- NoLightning
- Headphone jack
- Yes
Connectivity
- Network
- 2G / 3G / 4G4G LTE data, 3G, 2G
- VoLTE
- Noand this is the problem
- SIM
- Physical SIMNano-SIM
- Carriers
- Carriers that have retired 2G and 3G will not carry its voice calls
Where to get one
- Regions
- Ships worldwide
- Also sold at
- Second-hand markets
Notes
Worth listing precisely so nobody buys one by mistake. The iPhone 5 supports LTE for data but not VoLTE, and voice calls on it fall back to 2G/3G. With those networks retired across most of North America and much of Europe, the practical result is that you can still get online, use iMessage over data and browse, but you cannot make ordinary phone calls or send SMS. Some networks may retain patchy 2G fallback in places, and that is being phased out. Treat it as a Wi-Fi iPod, not a phone. An iPhone SE (2nd or 3rd gen) is the usual answer for people who want the small-iPhone feel with working voice.
Sources
Last checked 2026-09-15.Photo: Zach Vega, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
