We’ve all probably gotten used to paying top dollar for a new iPhone over the years — but what about paying five figures for an old one?
An unopened version 15 years after it launched at a starting price of $499 (£269 at the time) appleThe original phone – also informally known as the iPhone 2G, iPhone 1 or the original iPhone – sold at auction for $39,339 (£34,887).
The factory-sealed box contains a device with up to 8 GB of storage ( iPhone 14 starts with 128GB), one has two full megapixel cameras (the iPhone 14 Pro has 48 on one of its many lenses), and even has a headphone port (remember those?).
The top of the package features a picture of the phone and its old-fashioned home screen with now-defunct apps like an iPod for music and YouTube built-in.
Many of the main elements of a modern smartphone home screen are nowhere to be seen, and the device predates the likes of Instagram and TikTok.
The idea of a phone with the form and function of the iPod touch was Apple’s winning formula, as it became the tech giant’s most successful product ever.
Since its launch in 2007 by the late Steve Jobs, more than a dozen successors have followed, sparking fierce competition from the likes of Google and Samsung.
Past and Present – How the iPhone Evolved
The iPhone has come a long way in 15 years, and the iPhone 14 looks noticeably different from the original model.
Gone are the huge bezels around the tiny 3.5-inch screen, replaced by a 6.1-inch display.
The once-ubiquitous home button is also nowhere to be found—it’s now reserved for Apple’s “budget” iPhone SE.
Where there used to be just one camera, there are now at least two, and it’s on the back.
That’s right, teenagers – the original iPhone didn’t even have a selfie camera. how we live…
iPhone 14 series launched in September
According to LCG Auctions, the vintage items sold were in “abnormal condition” with factory stamps having “correct seam detail and tightness.”
“Brand new, never activated. Collectors and investors will be hard-pressed to find a better example,” it said.
The phone attracted a total of 28 bids, and the winning bid was enough to buy 39 iPhone 14 Pros.
Other Apple originals are notoriously expensive as well Apple-1 computers costing over £500,000 at auction.
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