Your Old iPhone Could Earn You $130,000 – If It Meets These Criteria

Oğuz Çakır — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:39:57 +0000

At Gizmochina, we often discuss how expensive Apple products are, and this applies not only to new devices but also to older ones. Interestingly, some older models become even more valuable with time. For example, have you ever wondered about the value of your old iPhone sitting untouched in your drawer? It might not be worth much, but if it’s a first-generation iPhone that has never been opened, that’s a different story. Due to their rarity, these unopened antiques can sell for over $130,000! Here are the details…

Rare 4GB Original iPhone Sells for Over $130,000 in Auction

You may have heard about the astronomical prices vintage Apple products bring at auctions. For instance, we recently mentioned the record-breaking price at which a rare sealed first-generation iPhone 4 GB was sold. Remarkably, these amounts are only increasing. Recently, a company named LCG Auctions put up an iPhone 4G in perfect condition for sale, aiming to sell it for over $100,000. As expected, the smartphone, now considered an antique, sold for over $130,000.

iPhone 4 GB

Furthermore, this record-breaking sale may soon be surpassed. Recently, an identical phone sold through LCG Auctions for a staggering $190,000. The $60,000 difference in price highlights the influence of demand on these rare collectibles. The value of these vintage iPhones stems almost entirely from their scarcity. As YouTubers purchase these phones for unboxing videos, even fewer remain available for collectors. Consequently, don’t be surprised if we hear about similar items commanding even higher prices in the near future.

In this situation, it’s natural to wonder “If I buy an iPhone 15 today and keep it sealed for a decade, how much could I sell it for?”. Obviously, it would gain more than its current price, but probably not as much as an original, first-generation iPhone. Apple likely produced far fewer of those (around 30 million) compared to the iPhone 14’s nearly 100 million units.

The iPhone 15 will have similarly high production numbers. While this isn’t investment advice, and returns aren’t guaranteed, holding onto a sealed iPhone 15 could definitely earn you a significant profit down the line.

Rare And Sealed First-Generation iPhone 4GB Auctioned At A Record-Breaking Price

Viraj Gawde — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:46:26 +0000

Apple’s first devices usually the iPhones, iPods, and Macs are often auctioned with people shelling out loads of money for vintage devices. They are often for the ‘richie rich’ and might not be everybody’s cup of tea. Having said that, the first-ever iPhone with 4GB storage unveiled in 2007 by the late Steve Jobs has been sold at a whopping price tag. The original iPhone’s 8GB factory-sealed variant was sold earlier in February this year.

4GB original iPhone auctioned at a record-breaking price tag

The first-ever iPhone launched in 2007 was quite a revolutionary device with a touch-screen, web browser, connectivity options, and more. It carried a price tag of $500 for the base 4GB storage variant. Notably, the base model was also rare during its original release as it was produced in limited quantity.

The iPhone 4GB auction was held by LCG Auctions a few weeks ago. The original estimated value of this unit was in the range of $50,000 – $100,000. The bidding began at $10,000 on June 30th and by July 13th, it went slowly to $42,000. However, in the final hours of the auction, the bid price quickly jumped to $108,356 and it finally closed at $158,644 following the intense bidding war. The device was sold at $190,372 which is likely after including taxes. The 4GB iPhone topped the previous record of the 8GB variant that was auctioned for $63,000. It was owned by a former Apple Engineer, Phil Martino.

The iPhone 4GB that was auctioned is a factory-sealed unit inside the original box. Since it was a rare variant, LCG Auctions described it as the “Holy Grail” among iPhone collectors. The final value was up 318 times compared to its original selling price. It also outperformed the stock market over the last 16 years (pun intended)

Rare iPhones have been going under the hammer in recent months. It’s interesting to see takers for a 16-year-old device.

iPhone 4GB Archives - Gizmochina

Your Old iPhone Could Earn You $130,000 – If It Meets These Criteria

Rare 4GB Original iPhone Sells for Over $130,000 in Auction

Rare And Sealed First-Generation iPhone 4GB Auctioned At A Record-Breaking Price

4GB original iPhone auctioned at a record-breaking price tag