Apple's First Lightning iPhone is Now Obsolete - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple's First Lightning iPhone is Now Obsolete

The iPhone 5 that launched back in 2012 is now considered obsolete, according to Apple's list of vintage and obsolete products. Apple moved the iPhone 5 and the 8GB iPhone 4 from the vintage list to the obsolete list today.

iphone 5
A device is "vintage" when it has been five years since it was last distributed for sale, and "obsolete" at the seven-year mark, though Apple sometimes stretches its timelines. For vintage products, Apple retail stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers can provide repairs if the required parts are available. Devices that are obsolete are generally not eligible for repair and Apple stops providing repair components.

Apple released the iPhone 5 in 2012 and discontinued it in 2013 after launching the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. The iPhone 5 was added to the vintage products list in 2018, at which point repairs became limited based on parts availability. Now that the device has moved to the obsolete list, repairs will be largely unavailable.

The iPhone 5 featured an updated design with a glass and aluminum body, a taller 4-inch display, LTE support, and the first-ever Lightning port that replaced the 30-pin connector.

As for the 8GB iPhone 4 that was also added to the obsolete list, Apple introduced it in 2011 and then discontinued it in 2013. Both the 8GB iPhone 4 and the iPhone 5 were sold as low-cost devices in emerging markets after being discontinued in the United States.

Popular Stories

MacBook Air family 10302018

Apple Adds Three More Macs to Obsolete Products List

Monday August 31, 2026 11:37 am PDT by
Apple today added three Macs to its list of obsolete products. The 2018 Retina MacBook Air, the 13-inch 2018 MacBook Pro with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, and the 13-inch 2017 MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt 3 ports are now considered obsolete. The three products were previously part of the vintage list, but have been moved. Apple adds a product to the vintage list when it's been five years...
iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Today With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and changes coming with iOS...

Top Rated Comments

headlessmike Avatar
26 weeks ago
Mine still looks the part if you ask me! Unfortunately unusable as a phone now due to the demise of 3G, but iOS 10 still works well with iCloud and Apple Music.




Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
26 weeks ago
Man, iPhone 5... perfect size and weight, such a great phone.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
26 weeks ago
This and the original SE are my favorite form factor and size
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
26 weeks ago
When iPhones were smartphones not fumblephablets
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
26 weeks ago
RIP iPhone 4, 4s and 5. The 5S was a punch in the gut to the competition.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
26 weeks ago
I still remember getting mine day one at radio shack back when they were $200 for the year. It felt so huge to me and I remember the hoopla over the change from the 30 pin connector. Back when you really felt a difference year over year. Good times.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)