First-generation iPhone Sells for Record-Breaking $190,000 at Auction
A buyer with significant financial resources has acquired a significant piece of technological history by paying $190,000 for a 2007 first-generation iPhone. This amount is approximately 300 times higher than the original price of the device.
Don’t expect to get anything close to this amazing when you’re selling a 16-year-old smartphone that you’ve put away in a box somewhere. According to the listing, this was a factory sealed unit in “exceptional condition”. The auctioneer LCG Auctions stated that the consignor of the lot was part of Apple’s design team when the iPhone debuted. “Collectors and investors would be hard-pressed to find a superior example,” the auction house wrote.
The raffle drew interest from several quarters, with 28 bids submitted, five of which were over $100,000. In recent months, LCG Auctions has sold two 8GB versions of the first-generation iPhone for $39,000 and $63,000. But what helps this product stand out is that it’s a rare 4GB model. Apple only produced this model for two months because consumers overwhelmingly preferred the version with double the storage.
It is unlikely that the buyer will actually open the package and use the phone, as breaking the seal would cause its value to increase. However, if they did, they would be tinkering with a device that probably wouldn’t even be able to make a phone call since 2G networks have shut down in many parts of the world. FaceTime is not used because there is no front camera and the OG iPhone can’t even use an iOS version that supports this feature. Most other apps won’t work with it.
Regardless, the original iPhone can still make a decent iPod. It even had a headphone jack. Do you remember them?
