Auctioned Apple iPhone from 2007 fetches over $190,000 in sale

An original, unopened first-generation iPhone was sold at auction for an astounding $190,372.80. This 4GB model received 28 bids on LCG Auctions, ultimately selling for nearly 400 times its original price. The sale of this iPhone follows the February sale of another 2007 iPhone, which fetched $63,356. LGC Auctions described the 4GB model as a “Holy Grail” among iPhone collectors due to its extreme scarcity resulting from limited production.

The starting bid for this highly coveted iPhone was $10,000. LGC Auctions, anticipating a sale price between $50,000 and $100,000, emphasized its popularity as a high-end collectible. In contrast, Apple currently sells its latest iPhone 14 starting at $799.

The original 4GB iPhone was released on June 29, 2007, but was discontinued a mere two months later due to sluggish sales. Even after a price cut of one-third, with the 4GB model originally priced at $499 and the 8GB model at $599, the iPhone failed to gain traction in the market. The recent auctioned iPhone from Sunday’s sale was still in its original factory wrapping and boasted features like a 2-megapixel camera and web browser. Notably, the phone had never been activated. LGC Auctions highlighted the phone’s pristine provenance, as it was consigned by a member of the original engineering team at Apple.

Apple enthusiasts have a history of paying significant sums for vintage products from the company. In August, a first-generation iPhone was purchased for $35,414, and in October, another was sold for $39,339 through LCG Auctions. Last year, an Apple-1 Computer prototype from the 1970s fetched over $677,000 at auction. Additionally, the company’s founding documents, signed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976, were sold for an astonishing $1.59 million in 2011.