I have a iPhone 5c. Wanting to set up an email account on the phone. After entering email address and password it sets up an imap account automatically, when I need to set up a pop3 account. What's happening?

Who is the email provider for this account?

Whatever settings the email provider gave you are what determine the type of account it is. Find out from them if you have the right settings, and ask if there is an option to use POP instead of IMAP.

Out of curiousity, why does it need to be a POP account for you?

I've read a couple of other posts regarding BT internet mail accounts. Once reports you cannot set that up on the iPhone. You might want to check with them about settings for the iPhone. Their support should have information for you, or you can look over to the right of the thread here at More Like This and see if you find answers.s

Try deleting the account from the phone. After doing that, try creating the account again. Once you enter the email address and password, it should go through the verification and then bring you to a page to continue. From there, at the top of the page you should get to make the choice between IMAP and POP.

POP3 is considered obsolete. In this age of multiple mobile devices, computers, etc. POP3 creates more problems than it solves. IMAP allows for full synchronization of the entire mailbox and all folders with all client devices. If you read a message on one, it will be marked as read on all client devices. If you delete it or move it on one, the change will be reflected on all devices (and the server, of course). POP3 requires that the message store be managed manually on all devices and can sometimes prevent you from being able to retrieve the message on more than one device at all.

There is no difference with the new phone. I have a 5s and just tried setting up another "other" account on my phone and it went right away.

After deleting the account, try adding it back, however this time put in the wrong password on purpose. This should make it fail the verification. It should then bring you to the first page of the mail add, and should let you choose IMAP or POP. You can then type in the correct password and continue to add the account.

You're welcome. Glad you got it sorted. The problem is, for some reason when the phone goes through the verificaiton process, it is getting mixed signals from your email provider, making the phone believe that you have an IMAP account. Good luck and enjoy your iPhone.