This is what happens if you use an iPhone from 2012 in 2022

Time flies. Although the wrinkles on our faces make that all too clear, the years in iPhone land seem to go much faster. What happens if you use a 10-year-old iPhone in 2022?

Welcome to 2012, the year of the iPhone 5

It’s September 12, 2012. Tim Cook is proud to announce the new iPhone 5, which shines like a jewel in the spotlight. It is the first iPhone with a larger 4-inch screen. Apple previously only released devices with 3.5-inch screens, but the manufacturer has to compete with the ever-growing Android competitors. Consider, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S3, the best-selling Android smartphone from 2012. This device has a 4.8-inch display.

In 2022, even the 4.8-inch screen of the Galaxy S3 is a joke. For example, the iPhone 13 mini – yes, you read that right, ‘mini’ – has a much larger 5.4 inch screen. In 2012, smartphones with such a screen are still seen as phablet, a cross between a phone and a tablet, but in 2022 6-inch screens will be the most normal thing in the world. The 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 now feels minuscule.

Some people prefer small phones. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple’s most powerful iPhone at the moment, has a 6.7-inch screen. That is also quite large by today’s standards. For fans of small phones, there’s the iPhone SE, Apple’s cheapest iPhone. This device has a 4.7 inch screen. So that is still a lot bigger than the display of the iPhone 5. We think about iPhoned not that there will ever be another iPhone with a screen smaller than 4.7 inches.

Aluminum housing

The iPhone 5 is characterized by its aluminum housing. The 2007 iPhone 2G also had an aluminum housing, but after that Apple switched to plastic, glass and stainless steel. The iPhone 5 feels like a kind of cross between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 2G. At just 7.6 millimeters, it’s also the thinnest iPhone ever – until the iPhone 6 breaks that record in 2014.

Thanks to this aluminum housing, it is impossible to charge the iPhone 5 wirelessly. That is a major drawback as many people are using this feature these days. The housing of the iPhone 5 is also not water resistant, so it is better not to call with it in a heavy rain shower.

Another drawback to the housing: the iPhone 5 is one of the last iPhones with a ‘normal’ home button. This means that there is no Touch ID fingerprint scanner on the device. So you will always have to enter a code to safely unlock your iPhone.

Speed: antique A6 chip

If you are looking for a speed monster, you better ignore the iPhone 5 in 2022. The device runs on an almost antique A6 chip. In comparison: iPhone 13 runs on an A15 chip – nine generations difference, so. If you test both processors with the popular AnTuTu benchmark, you’ll see that the A15 chip is about 2756 percent faster than the A6. An astronomical number.

The iPhone 5 also only has 1GB of RAM, so that few apps can continue to run in the background. The entry-level model also has 16GB of storage space, part of which already goes to the system. You can hardly download apps and take photos with this version, because the memory is full before you know it. Apple also released versions with 32GB and 64GB. Fun fact: the cheapest iPhone 13 has 128GB of storage. That’s twice the memory of the most expensive iPhone 5.

The last iPhone with the ‘old’ iOS

The iPhone 5 came on the market with iOS 6. This is the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system with the ‘natural’ appearance. For example, the note-taking app still looked like a real notepad and every app icon still had a 3D design with shadows and textures. In 2013, Apple released iOS 7, which changed the look of the software forever. Today’s iOS 15 still resembles iOS 7 in many ways in appearance.

Unfortunately, the iPhone 5 lost its software support a few years ago. The device will be stuck on iOS 10 forever. This software is almost six years old at the time of writing. This is also the biggest reason that an iPhone 5 in 2022 can really no longer be used.

The old software ensures that thousands of apps no longer work on the device. iPhone 5 users also miss all kinds of functions of newer iOS versions and the outdated software is more susceptible to hackers and other scum.

Cameras you don’t want to be seen with

Many people buy a new smartphone based on the cameras. With its massive camera system, the iPhone 13 Pro Max offers the most versatile photography and movie experience on an iPhone yet. Ten years ago it all looked very different. The iPhone 5 does not have a telephoto lens or ultra-wide angle lens, but only a ‘normal’ 8 megapixel camera.

Photos you take with the iPhone 5 lack sharpness and color. The dynamic range is also remarkably low, so that, for example, the sky is constantly overexposed. Missing popular features like Portrait mode, Movie mode and slow motion video. Due to the low light output, you can hardly see anything in the dark, except for a good dose of noise. You take selfies with a resolution of only 1.2 megapixels – anything but Instaworthy, so.

Conclusion: leave that iPhone 5 for what it is

If you’re still using an iPhone 5 in 2022, it’s really time for an upgrade. Let the nostalgia go, because the device has had its day. Fortunately, Apple still makes a number of compact iPhones for enthusiasts. Do you think a brand new iPhone is too expensive? Then you can always look at a refurbished device. Please take a look at our price comparator. Read for a fun throwback especially our iPhone 5 review from 2012.

Are you curious about our opinion about the most recent iPhones? We have made an extensive video review about this. You can check this below:

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