By Madlen Schäfer and Rita Deutschbein | July 15, 2023 at 6:45 p.m
Technology usually depreciates over time. But every now and then there are collectibles that stand out from the crowd. Even some old cell phones are now really valuable. TECHBOOK shows you which models can make a lot of money today.
Do you still have old cell phones in a drawer? Maybe there are real rarities there. Because a few models are sought-after collector’s items today and are worth several thousand euros. You can get the most money if you still have the original packaging. We introduce you to seven valuable mobile phones that can bring in real money today.
Notes on the values
At this point we would like to point out that not every cell phone listed here has to achieve the specified sum when sold. As is always the case with auctions and sales of this type, the value to be achieved depends on supply and demand – two factors that can fluctuate widely. However, the following models have been highly traded in the past.
1. Motorola DynaTAC 8000x – one of today’s most valuable cell phones
It’s a real boner and THE ancestor of every smartphone: the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x. What today seems like a device from the Stone Age is the world‘s first real mobile phone. The patent was registered as early as 1973 before the device went on sale ten years later for almost 4000 US dollars. The colossus weighs a whopping 800 grams, the battery lasted an hour and then needed ten hours to recharge. Only the numbers could be seen on the display. And the customers of the time also had to be patient when buying a device – the waiting time for a device was up to a year.
Unfortunately, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x is no longer functional, but the mother of all mobile phones can continue to increase in value, especially in the future, and is already being sold for several thousand euros. If you own this valuable mobile phone, you should even have a little patience.
An eBay seller offered a set with a phone for $5,500Photo: Screenshot eBay
Also read: Nokia brings back mobile phone legend from the 90s
2. Nokia 8110
The Nokia 8110 was launched in 1996 and is best known for the film The Matrix. The slider function as well as the chrome look were revolutionary at the time. Customers had to pay a little less than 1000 euros for one of the smallest and brightest cell phones at the time. However, this could now pay off, because models that are still in their original packaging can bring in up to three times the original retail price. In the case of used models of this valuable mobile phone, however, the price drop is very large.
Also interesting: The curious story of Nokia
3. The first iPhone
It was a huge sensation when Steve Jobs introduced Apple’s first iPhone (also called iPhone 2G) in 2007. With 4 gigabytes (GB) of storage, the iPhone cost 499 US dollars (around 404 euros). Although the number one can no longer keep up technically with the newer generations, collectors love this original iPhone. Accordingly, it is valuable today. The same applies here: new devices are worth a lot of money to collectors. On Ebay you can find purchase prices between 1000 and 3000 euros.
For prices between 1000 and 3000 euros, the first iPhone is offered on portals such as Ebay Photo: Screenshot Ebay
Anyone who owns the first iPhone even with the sealed packaging can consider themselves really lucky. Devices of this type are currently traded at auctions at enormous prices. It was only in February 2023 that the unpacked iPhone was sold at an online auction for US$ 63,356.40 (EUR 59,427.04), TECHBOOK reported.
4. Nokia 8800 Arte Carbon
When it entered the market in 2008, this slider phone made an impression mainly because of the high-quality materials such as titanium, carbon fiber and stainless steel. It was the premium version of the Nokia 8800. The timeless design of the valuable cell phone still has its followers today. In the original packaging, prices exceed 1000 euros.
5. Nokia 3310
It is probably one of the most popular cell phones in recent years and is very valuable today: the Nokia 3310. In 2000, one of the best-selling cell phones in the world came onto the market. It was one of the first cell phones that could send longer text messages. In 2017 Nokia released a new edition. Due to the high level of distribution, an increase in the value of the phone is only possible if it is new and in the original packaging. In such a case, an old 3310 can be sold for 200 to 300 euros.
The Nokia 3310 in its original packaging can fetch a few hundred euros. Photo: Screenshot Ebay
6. Nokia 8800 Sirocco
This Nokia cell phone is an elegant version of the Nokia 8800. The high-quality look makes the designer cell phone from 2007 a coveted item for collectors. With this mobile phone, several thousand euros were sold again and again. Even if lower prices are currently in circulation, an increase in value can be expected for this designer example.
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7. Samsung SPH-N270
This Samsung cell phone probably owes its futuristic look primarily to the film Matrix Reloaded. Morpheus uses it, which is why the film makers and the Korean manufacturer worked closely together. From the start, the Samsung SPH-N270 was a collector’s item for Matrix fans – and it has remained so to this day. However, the mobile phone from the film industry, which is valuable today, has doubled its own value since 2003.