Paul Morris on September 17, 2016, 12:00 am

iOS 10 Features Not Available On iPhone 5 And 5c

Here are the iOS 10 features that are not available for iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c users due to hardware limitations.

If history has shown us anything, it’s that Apple does a seriously impressive job at trying to offer compatibility with as many iPhones and iPads as possible whenever it releases a new major version of iOS. In a situation where it would likely be a lot easier to just write off a number of devices, Apple tries its hardest to ensure compatibly for as long as possible. With iOS 10, that compatibly extends back as far as the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c, but seemingly does come with some limitations based on the hardware capabilities of those devices.

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Apple doesn’t necessarily use any of its iOS 10 marketing materials to focus on the fact that certain iOS 10 functionality and capabilities don’t actually work on this older hardware, but individual iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c users have been slowly discovering that some additions to the platform don’t appear to be available for interaction on their hardware.

As an example, Apple took the opportunity to substantially enhance the capabilities of the Photos app in iOS 10 by introducing a new album called People that automatically runs facial recognition of stored photographs and groups them into collections containing the same person.

Photos also has a new feature accessible from the tab bar called Memories, which automatically creates a stunning slideshow of photographs and videos with a soundtrack spliced in based on mood, as well as integrating gorgeous transitions. Presumably due to hardware restrictions, neither of those new features are available to iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c owners.

Apple’s new Raise to Wake feature, which brings the display on an iPhone to life when movement is detected, is also unavailable on those two devices. But then again, this particular feature is only available on the brand new iPhone 7 / 7 Plus, iPhone 6s / 6s Plus and the iPhone SE.

Also read: How To Disable iOS 10 Raise To Wake Feature On Compatible Devices.

Well-adopted features that have been in iOS prior to iOS 10 launching, such as Apple Pay, Night Shift, Touch ID and 3D Touch, are also unavailable on the iPhone 5 and 5c, and this time it’s purely down to hardware issues. These particular devices don’t have an integrated Touch ID sensor in the Home button, nor do they have a pressure sensitive display that facilitates the use of 3D Touch. Unless owners choose to upgrade, they’ll also need to go without some features available in Safari, Burst Photos and Slow-mo videos in Camera, and the ability to track motion and steps without an accompanying Apple Watch.