Keep your huge screens and triple cameras — I just want the iPhone 5s back

No replies, just want Touch ID back

17 Jan 2026, 16:00 · TechRadar

Features By Jamie Richards published 17 January 2026

(Image credit: Future) Share Share by:

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

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?

The iPhone 5s is still a gorgeous piece of engineering (Image credit: Future)

I’m glad I asked – let me break down why the iPhone 5s, with its 4-inch screen, minuscule battery, and outdated cameras, still holds a big place in my heart.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.

Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors