iPhone · Retina & Beyond · 2012
iPhone 5
Taller, lighter and aluminium-backed, the iPhone 5 retired the 30-pin dock for the reversible Lightning plug — annoying at first, indispensable for a decade.
iPhone 5: key facts
When was the iPhone 5 released?
The iPhone 5 was released in September 21, 2012. Apple discontinued it in September 2013.
How much did the iPhone 5 cost?
The iPhone 5 launched at $649 in 2012 — about $909 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the iPhone 5’s specs?
The iPhone 5 used a Apple A6 running at 1.30 GHz, with 1 GB of memory and 16 GB of storage. It ran iOS 6.
Why does the iPhone 5 matter?
First Lightning connector, first taller 16:9 screen, first fully Apple-designed CPU core ("Swift").
Full specifications
| CPU | Apple A6 · 1.30 GHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 1 GB |
| Storage | 16 GB |
| Display | 4" Retina LCD, 1136×640 |
| GPU | PowerVR SGX543MP3 |
| Ports | Lightning, 3.5 mm |
| Weight | 112 g |
| Dimensions | 123.8×58.6×7.6 mm |
| Operating system | iOS 6 |
| Released | September 21, 2012 |
| Discontinued | September 2013 |
| Launch price | $649 |
How the iPhone 5 compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 16× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 1.30 GHz, the clock is roughly 2.5× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
This held about 4,100 modern phone photos — a respectable library even today.
Launched at $649 in 2012 — about $909 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
The A6’s "Swift" core was Apple’s first custom CPU design — years before the Swift language.
Related iPhone models
Open the iPhone 5 in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25