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Phones · Apple iPhone

Apple iPhone 5C

6owners with an opinion
80%of verdicts positive
2/1positive/negative since 2024
0happy after 3+ years

Praised for comfort and design; criticized for repairability.

What owners wrote

Likes it
I’ve been a recent convert to the iPhone. It gives me a unique perspective since I’ve spent almost my entire life in the Android ecosystem. I first bought an iPhone 5c on a whim, which is well out of support by apple, 5 versions behind the modern iOS. If you turn it on, all the default Apple apps work, in 2024. You can stream Apple Music and download podcasts with no App Store whatsoever. It’s a powerful little device, more then ten years later. Compare this to the Android system, where google has wholesale deprecated their podcasts app. You’ll have to find a 3rd party one if you want to access that functionality. The point I’m trying to make is that for Joe Consumer, everything on an iPhone just works. Modification isn’t even something they consider doing. In the end, Epic and Spotify get a fat 30% boost in revenue and nobody notices anything different.
Doesn’t like it
Compare this to the Android system, where google has wholesale deprecated their podcasts app. You’ll have to find a 3rd party one if you want to access that functionality. My Galaxy S1 still plays podcasts just fine....I keep it hooked up to bluetooth speakers just for that. Google disabled the ability to download new/updated apps that could run on this phone long ago, but the apps already on the phone still work. Indeed, it works better than the iPhone 5c, since I can use any micro usb connector to charge my phone, but the 5c is stuck with a proprietary connector that isn't made or sold anymore. The point I’m trying to make is that for Joe Consumer, everything on an iPhone just works. This hasn't been true for years, if it ever was. Siri never worked properly, and most people complain about the horrible accuracy of the fingerprint and face unlock. Text messages sent to/by Apple users frequently disappear into the ether, discovered only when the communicants physically meet up. The cloud software is prone to overwriting files or accidentally deleting them. And don't even get me started about all the people holding their phones the wrong way...
Doesn’t like itHasn’t owned it
That suspect's iPhone 5C had a weak numeric passcode, so the only defense was hardware security limiting the number of attempts. Someone reverse-engineered that, wasn't a backdoor. I'm not sure how GrapheneOS differs from regular Android or iPhone on hardware security, but seems like it's basically the same. Need a secure passphrase to be truly safe.
Likes itHasn’t owned it
It reminds me of the iPhone 5C when I had a 5S, it's a beautiful colorful breath of fresh air that I wish I had but my needs are so much greater. But if I wasn't an engineer who needed a highspeced MacBook Pro I'd go with it.
Likes itHasn’t owned it
A different POV, I'm bored of today's uniform, do-it-all smartphones and I enjoy using limited-purpose ergonomic devices with character. I often carry a dedicated camera, an e-ink reader, or a handheld console. I liked the colorful iPhone 5C, or smartphones with hardware keyboard - I miss this sometimes.