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Having been on a iPhone 4S for 4 years, the iPhone 5 I got was a real upgrade, especially on iOS 9, where the iPhone 4S became really slow. To understand better: Lets just say, the experience became smooth again. 
I mainly use iCal, Mail, Safari, iMessage, the Phone and an App for my Fitness plan, and the iPhone 5 really is good enough.
But since I got it really cheap, I'll probably update on the next 4" iPhone if Apple ever releases one.
If you want to upgrade now and be cool for a while I'd go with the 5S though.
I mainly use iCal, Mail, Safari, iMessage, the Phone and an App for my Fitness plan, and the iPhone 5 really is good enough.
But since I got it really cheap, I'll probably update on the next 4" iPhone if Apple ever releases one.
If you want to upgrade now and be cool for a while I'd go with the 5S though.
If your mother is using the iPhone to check her email, play a few light games, and browse the web occasionally, then the 5 will work for her.
The only thing you should be aware of is that the iPhone 5 is not expected to receive iOS updates for much longer.
The only thing you should be aware of is that the iPhone 5 is not expected to receive iOS updates for much longer.
I manage a 5 for family. It's actually quite fast. Not too much of a hit compared to the newer phones. However, battery can be tight. Especially when the user got an Apple Watch their battery was hit much more than mine was on the newer models.
If charging regularly isn't an issue, the 5 actually Is a great phone still. After all, they sold the 5c until a few months ago and it was only marginally different (mainly LTE band support).
If charging regularly isn't an issue, the 5 actually Is a great phone still. After all, they sold the 5c until a few months ago and it was only marginally different (mainly LTE band support).
eBay unlocking services. However, they are out of stock. Sorry
Ummm.... NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is quite literally a technical impossibility to hack or unlock a CDMA only phone on Sprint to run as a GSM phone. Some so called "hacks" force one into an LTE only mode, meaning if you were ever to drop to 3G in a particular area; instead your phone would stop working. Also, an off contract brand new iPhone 5S is NOT $149, also we are talking about a phone solution for the op's non-techie mum, so ANY talk of hacking & messing with a phone to force it on to a carrier it wasn't designed to work on is clearly preposterous & pointless.
Excuse me? Boost Mobile iPhone's have been reported to be successfully unlocked on the Slickdeals.net forums, which is where the deal I mentioned was advertised.
Do some research before running your mouth.
Lol.
I work for Boost.
Nice try.
I'm right. You're wrong.
GAME OVER.
I even told you exactly what it is that those supposed "hacks" do... allowing for LTE use only. Then if you were in an area that it would drop to 3G, it would drop to NOTHING instead. If you're on a CDMA phone connected to a GSM network, how the hell could you get 3G????!!!
Derp.
There is simply NO GSM HARDWARE IN THE PHONE!!!!!
No amount of software hacks could magically put a new hardware chip in a CDMA phone to make it work on GSM!!!
Now accept your spanking like a big boy & remember:
If you come around to a TECH forum, spewing nonsense bs for advice & pretending you know what you're talking about... you're DEFINITELY going to get told.
The iPhone 5 is a great phone and runs iOS 9.2 very well.
The major issue as others have mentioned is that used iPhone 5 will be almost 3 years old at this point and may need battery replacements. A 5S might be better for future-proofing too, as it has a 64-bit processor only slightly less powerful than the chip in the 6.
The major issue as others have mentioned is that used iPhone 5 will be almost 3 years old at this point and may need battery replacements. A 5S might be better for future-proofing too, as it has a 64-bit processor only slightly less powerful than the chip in the 6.
Lol, you sound like a child.
Tell this to everyone who successfully unlocked their Boost Mobile iPhone 6s on the Slickdeals.net forums. Check it out here: https://slickdeals.net/coupons/boost-mobile/
People are unlocking them and using them with every compatible band on carriers such as T-Mobile. Nice try though!
Yeah, that's not really a problem because most apps require at least ios 7 to run and her is on ios 6. I updated it but decided to downgrade because of a software problem with the proximity sensor that wouldn't turn the screen off so the speaker would turn on at pretty inappropriate times or the call would be put on hold + the time it takes to load basic things. And there aren't actually many apps that still support ios 6(more then normal for a 3 year old os)
Actually all phones are now unlockable. That goes for Sprint and Boost Mobile as well...
5S.... soooooo, that's not "now". That's three years ago.
Look; we unlock and reSKU Sprint phones to Boost every day at the cell phone shop I work at... We also unlock GSM phones (like ATT) to pretty much any carrier around the world.
The one thing we don't do (BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE) is unlock Sprint/Boost phones to work on 3G on a GSM network.
You guys can go on thinking you're right on this; but you're not!
As I've said- the only "cheat" is: using it in LTE only, that way it doesn't have to match the CDMA/GSM network..... BUT, when you are in a 3G area you lose all signal.
[doublepost=1453060607][/doublepost]
You can't be taught.
Your ignorance is giving me a headache...
I'm gonna go ahead & move you to my "blocked" list.
I was using a 5 up until the 6S launched and it was still working great on iOS 9 when I sold it.
What the hell are you talking about ... All Sprint phones became unlockable 5c and above. The iPhone 5 is unlockable but is very different to be unlocked due to the type of SIM it uses...
I know what I'm talking about especially when it comes to this kind of stuff. I'm in no way saying you don't, but I don't need a post that's directed at me either especially when I'm technically agreeing with you...
I understand I said ALL but I wasn't considering the 4s and below which is my fault... You said no Sprint phones are unlockable... Isn't that what you said????
*sigh*
I guess it depends on your definition of the word "unlocked"...
If you mean it like: "Oooooh, I have a crappy CDMA only version of the Sprint iPhone 5C that can only work on CDMA networks, but it is unlocked, so I can move it off of Sprint's CDMA network to a MVNO that also uses that same CDMA network, like Boost", then YES... it is, in some slight small sense, unlocked.
If you think of it like this(like most do): "yo, I have a GSM unlocked iPhone, bought from Apple & labeled by Apple as unlocked on their website and universally accepted as unlocked... it will work on any GSM network, anywhere in the world because it is a GSM unlocked phone", then NO, a Sprint iPhone 5C can NEVER be that.
It isn't hardware capable of that. It doesn't have the GSM bands. What ppl do is (as I repeatedly have stated), they ONLY use the LTE bands which are the same on both the CDMA & the GSM versions of the iPhone 5C, so technically they are using a CDMA/LTE only phone on a GSM/LTE only network, but ONLY the LTE piece works... it literally CANNOT fall back to 3G because it doesn't support those bands that the carrier provides. Does that make sense?
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
I gave my mom my old hand-me-down iPhone 5. Granted I gave it to her over a year ago, but she's still using it today. It's more than capable for her needs. I would hate to go from my iPhone 6 to a 5, but as a first iPhone, or upgrading from iPhone 4 to iPhone 5, it should be a great product. It may not go past iOS 10, but obviously if she's on a 4 she doesn't care much about "the latest OS".
I will say this is the biggest issue that my mom has mentioned about her iPhone 5. I never really thought about the potential for a battery replacement, I may mention that to her.
I will say this is the biggest issue that my mom has mentioned about her iPhone 5. I never really thought about the potential for a battery replacement, I may mention that to her.