By Adrian Mühlroth | Jul 17, 2023 2:34 p.m
The original 2007 iPhone has become a popular collector’s item. But one particular model is particularly popular.
First-generation iPhones regularly fetch tens of thousands of dollars at auction. In the past 12 months alone, the maximum price for the devices has risen three times. But with the latest auction, a seller of a rare iPhone model has raked in a new record sum, more than six times the previous record.
First generation iPhones are real gold mines
The last time a buyer was able to purchase an unopened first-generation iPhone was in February 2023 for $63,356.40 (€56,409.37). As TECHBOOK reported, this was a “first edition example in excellent condition”. Means: No damage to the packaging and even the sealing film was intact. Previously, similarly well-preserved first-generation iPhone models at auction in August 2022 and October 2022 had achieved record sums of $35,414 and $39,339, respectively.
Steve Jobs himself introduced the first iPhone on January 9, 2007. Time magazine called it “the invention of the year 2007”. The smartphone was initially available in 4 and 8 gigabyte memory sizes, which cost $499 and $599 at launch. A 16 gigabyte version followed in 2008 for USD 499. In Germany, the smartphone was initially only available in connection with a T-Mobile contract for 399 euros.
Also interesting: This iPhone quiz can only be solved by real Apple experts!
“Holy Grail”: This iPhone model sets a new record
At the current auction, an original iPhone brought in the record sum of USD 190,372.80 (EUR 169,430.84). According to LCG Auctions – the site that hosted the auction – the device is the “holy grail” for collectors. Above all, the very short production time of the model in question is one reason for this. Because unlike in the previous auctions, a first-generation iPhone with only 4 gigabytes of memory was for sale here. This model was on the market for just under two months before Apple discontinued it in September 2007 and reduced the price of the 8GB model. At the time, this caused an outcry among buyers of the smaller memory version, who had now paid more money for the inferior model. At that time nobody could have known what value this rarity would one day have.
According to the description in the auction offer, the record-breaking iPhone is in “excellent condition”. It is not just a matter of the tautness of the completely intact welding foil, but also that all the stickers on the back are flawless. The colors and the shine of the packaging must also be right – copies that have faded from the sun are worth significantly less. Of course, the iPhone is new inside and not activated. According to LCG Auctions, the seller is a member of “the original engineering team at Apple when the iPhone was released.”
When asked by TECHBOOK how LCG Auctions ensures that the device, including packaging and film, is actually original and whether the 16-year-old device still works at all, the auction house has not yet answered.
TECHBOOK meint
“The 4GB model of the first iPhone is a real rarity, but are these decades-old smartphones really worth that much money? Nobody knows whether the devices are still functional – and nobody wants to find out by opening the package and the value immediately drops by tens to hundreds of thousands of euros. But one thing is for sure: the built-in battery has long since been discharged. And discharged lithium cells will swell if left uncharged for a long period of time. Whoever opens the packaging will probably only find a case that has been pried open.” – Adrian Mühlroth, TECHBOOK-Redakteur