The auction for the first model iPhone that is still in its factory-sealed box sold for about $63,356.
The first iPhone was a revolution in terms of mobile telephony and, due to this decisive role it played, it has become a highly valued collector’s item among technology enthusiasts. Therefore, it is not surprising that the first generation copy that has been up for auction since the beginning of this month ended up selling for more than 63 thousand dollars.
The kit, still in its factory-sealed box, ended up selling for more than 100 times its original price considering it sold for $599 when it launched in 2007. The auction was held through LCG Auctions . with about 27 participants and started at US$2,500 when it opened on February 2. Although it was estimated that it would sell for around $50,000, the figure ended up being even higher.
An Apple relic sold for more than $63,000
The story behind this specimen is quite peculiar. Karen Green , a seller of this equipment, pointed out that she received the smartphone as a gift from some friends for starting a new job in 2007. However, because she already had a new mobile at that time and did not want to change the telephone operator to activate the iPhone , he didn’t even bother to open the box.
The kit sat on his shelf, fully sealed as it came from the factory, for 12 years until he appraised it on the “Treasure Hunt” segment of the TV show “The Doctor & The Diva” in 2019. “I didn’t want to get rid of my phone, and I thought, ‘It’s an iPhone , so it will never go out of date,’” Green said .
The appraiser for this program ended up valuing it at $5,000, but in October of the same year, Green saw a sealed first-generation iPhone sell for $39,339 at a previous LCG auction . “If I could put the phone away for another 10 years, I probably would. The only reason I’m selling that phone is because I need to support this business ,” said the owner of the device, referring to the aesthetic tattoo studio that she has as a business project.
Specifically, this first iPhone in its factory-sealed box sold for about $63,356 to a private buyer who preferred not to reveal his name.
An invaluable item for tech
Often considered the trigger for the smartphone fever that the world is experiencing to this day, the first version of the iPhone marked a before and after in mobile telephony. At that time, it had a touch screen (which was not a standard yet), a web browser and a 2 MP camera. The first iPhone was released on June 29, 2007, and users could choose between a model with 4 GB of storage for $499 or the model with 8 GB of storage for $599.
Steve Jobs , co-founder and CEO of Apple at the time as well as being the mind behind the creation of the device, presented the first generation of iPhone months earlier at a San Francisco fair called MacWorld . Due to its immense success, the iPhone was awarded the title of “invention of the year” by Time magazine and soon became Apple’s best-selling product.