iPhone 5C searches jump 40,000% as security warnings mount
Compare and Recycle says interest in the 2013 Apple phone surged over the past year, while its product chief warns of data leaks and hacking risks.
Searches for the iPhone 5C rose by more than 40,000% over the past year, according to data from phone recycling comparison site Compare and Recycle.
The site also recorded a 1815% increase in searches for "iPhone 5C camera" and a 264% rise in searches for "iPhone 5C" over the same period, TechRadar reported. The iPhone 5C, released by Apple in 2013, has an 8-megapixel camera.
Security warnings for an ageing device
Compare and Recycle chief product officer Lee Elliott said the last iOS version the iPhone 5C supports is iOS 10.3.3, which was released in 2017. He warned that the device can be vulnerable to data leaks, hacking and other security breaches.
Elliott advised using the phone offline in airplane mode without a SIM card. He recommended not signing in with a personal Apple ID and transferring photos by cable rather than through iCloud backup.
If online access is needed, Elliott said users should create a separate Apple ID for the device and avoid logging into email, banking or social media accounts on it.
Quick answers
How much did iPhone 5C searches rise?
Compare and Recycle reported that searches for "buy iPhone 5C" rose by more than 40,000% over the past year.
Is the iPhone 5C still supported by iOS?
No. According to Compare and Recycle's Lee Elliott, the last supported version is iOS 10.3.3, released in 2017.