January 26, 2026
Zombie iPhones rise again
iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch
Apple keeps 13‑year‑old iPhones chatting till 2027 — cheers, jeers, and nostalgia
TLDR: Apple’s iOS 12.5.8 extends a certificate so iMessage, FaceTime, and activation on iPhone 5s/6 keep working until 2027. Comments split between praise for rare legacy support and shrugs that it’s “just a cert fix,” with nostalgia stories and calls for Apple to help old Macs too.
Apple just dusted off ancient iPhones with iOS 12.5.8, a tiny but life-saving tweak: it extends the certificate—think digital permission slip—that keeps iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation working through 2027. Cue comment chaos. Some say this dents the ‘planned obsolescence’ myth; others dismiss it as “just a cert fix.”
FridayoLeary is “mildly impressed,” remembering when the 5 looked “outdated” next to big Samsungs. The loudest cynic, tokyobreakfast, snarks it’s not a real update and wants the old Mac App Store back. Even Apple skeptics like mrandish grudgingly clap: legacy support that actually helps. augusteo adds that many brands let expired certs turn gadgets into paperweights, so pushing anything to a 13‑year‑old phone is rare.
Then the nostalgia avalanche: bartread ran a 5S from 2013 to 2020 until a ski trip’s cold finished the battery—“pandemic-ready, powder‑day fragile.” Commenters joked about archaeologists texting from a 5s, and “Apple necromancy” reviving blue bubbles for grandma. Under the jokes, a real split: is Apple doing right by users, or just keeping you in the iMessage club?
For context, Apple promises at least five years of security fixes but often goes longer, with similar tweaks landing on the 6s today. More details: Apple support
Key Points
- •Apple released iOS 12.5.8 for iPhone 5s and iPhone 6.
- •The update extends certificates for iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation to work past January 2027.
- •iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 last received security updates in January 2023.
- •Apple often supports devices beyond its minimum five-year security update commitment.
- •iPhone 6s received iOS 15.8.6 with the same certificate extension; Apple also released new versions of iOS 18 and iOS 16.