A first-generation Apple iPhone has been auctioned off for more than US$63,000 (S$84,390). The smartphone was first launched in 2007 and now 16 years later an unopened edition of the model owned by tattoo artist Karen Green has been sold by LCG auction house on Sunday (Feb 19) for US$63,356 after receiving 27 bids from a starting price of US$2,500.
A description for the item read: “Highly desirable factory sealed first-generation original Apple iPhone from 2007.
“One of the most important and ubiquitous inventions of our lifetime, the iPhone was first introduced by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007 at MacWorld San Francisco.
“Just over five months later it was released at retail for US$499/US$599 on June 29th.”
Specifications for the tech item include 8GB of storage, a two-megapixel camera, and a physical home button.
It is a stark difference from the 1TB of storage, 48-megapixel camera, and no physical home button available on the iPhone 14 today, which retails at a starting price of US$799 depending on screen size and memory capacity.
Karen took the vintage smartphone onto Doctor and the Diva’s Treasure Hunt Tuesday TV show in 2019 where it was estimated to be worth US$5,000 and was said to be “overwhelmed” at the final selling price, with the auction house claiming that the “cultural interest” in old tech items is on the increase and believes that sales could grow even further.
In a statement, they said: “There’s little doubt that interest in culturally relevant collectibles is rapidly increasing, and despite the impressive sales numbers, many believe the space is still in its infancy.”
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