Apple iPhone 5c
How long will it last?
Our estimateSupported until September 2017 · Buy-by September 2015
Apple doesn't publish an end date, but iPhones have a consistent ~4-year update track record — on that basis the iPhone 5c should be supported until around September 2017. Buying it today still gets you about -8.7 years of safe use, and Apple's written legal minimum is 5 years (verified June 2026).
Source: source · last verified 2026-06-18 · how we compute this
Our verdict
Apple's colorful plastic iPhone shared the iPhone 5's internals and got about four years of iOS updates before being left behind.
Pros
- Received iOS updates for roughly four years, up to iOS 10.3.3
- Durable, colorful polycarbonate unibody
- Slightly larger 1510mAh battery than the iPhone 5
Cons
- No longer supported and cannot run modern apps
- Aging A6 chip and only a 4-inch display
Full specifications
Display
💡 Bigger numbers = smoother scrolling (Hz) and easier outdoor reading (nits).
| Screen | 4.0-inch IPS LCD, 640x1136 (~326 ppi) |
Performance
💡 The phone's brain — it decides speed today and how well it ages.
| Chipset | Apple A6 |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Storage | 8GB / 16GB / 32GB |
Cameras
💡 Megapixels aren't everything — lens variety matters more day-to-day.
| main | 8MP |
| front | 1MP |
Battery & charging
💡 Capacity in mAh — bigger usually means longer between charges.
| Battery | 1,510 mAh |
| Charging | 5W wired |
Build
💡 Size, weight, and the materials between your phone and the floor.
| Dimensions | 124.4 x 59.2 x 9 mm |
| Weight | 132 g |
| Materials | Glass front, polycarbonate (plastic) unibody |
| Water resistance | None |
Software & connectivity
💡 The software it ships with, and how far it can upgrade.
| Software | iOS 7 (last supported iOS 10.3.3) |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11n dual-band, Bluetooth 4.0, Lightning/USB 2.0 |
| Update policy | ~4 years of updates (our estimate from Apple's track record — written minimum is 5 years) |
Better-value alternatives
Similar price, lower cost per month of safe ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Is the iPhone 5c still getting updates in 2026?
No. The iPhone 5c stopped at iOS 10.3.3 in 2017 and has received no updates for years.
How long did the iPhone 5c get updates?
It launched on iOS 7 in 2013 and was supported through iOS 10.3.3, about four years of iOS updates.
Is the iPhone 5c worth buying in 2026?
Only for collectors or nostalgia. Its plastic design is memorable, but it cannot run current apps or receive security patches.
Compare it
Specs are collected from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers and change often. Support end dates follow each brand's official policy (or, for Apple, its documented historical pattern). Last verified 2026-06-18.