Phones are getting more and more expensive as the years go by, and among the brands most guilty of this include Apple and its iPhones. There’s a very fair chance that you’ll be right in thinking that the iPhone 15 series coming out at the end of the year will be more expensive than ever. But whatever that price may be, it will still be dwarfed by the price that the first ever iPhone just went for in a recent auction.
The still factory-sealed first-generation iPhone was put up for auction with LCG Auctions earlier in the month, with the auction itself having ended over the weekend. It had a starting price of US$2500 (~RM11080), which is already a ridiculous price to pay for any phone, never mind one that’s 16 years old. But by the end of the auction, it went for US$63356.40 (~RM280796), including a “buyer’s premium”.
There’s also an interesting story to go with this relic from the earlier days of the second millennium. This still sealed first iPhone was owned by one Karen Green, who got the iPhone as a gift, according to a linked Business Insider article. As for why the phone remained sealed, this was because it wasn’t something that Green could use anyway. iPhones of the time were only compatible with the telco AT&T in the US, while Green already had three phone lines with another telco, Verizon.
An old relic of the past like the original iPhone selling for such a huge sum of money is pretty incredible on its own. But what makes it more so is the fact that it’s not the only one in recent times. Just last October, another sealed iPhone was auctioned off to the tune of US$40000 (~RM177280). Indeed, Green intended to hold on to hers for awhile longer to let its value bloat up even further, but decided to sell it to fund a business she’s running.
(Source: LCG Auctions, Business Insider)
