A sealed original 4GB iPhone, still encased in its pristine packaging, recently shattered auction records. The price achieved by this vintage Apple gadget increased its value by an astounding 318 times.
Collectors frequently target vintage Apple products like early iPhones, iPods, and Macs, willing to part with significant sums to secure these iconic items.
The spotlight, this time, was on an original iPhone, which, remarkably, commanded a final auction price of $158,644 (₹1,30,28,083 approx). This particular device was a rare 4GB variant, available in limited numbers even at its launch.
This rare, original iPhone 4GB model was anticipated to fetch up to $100,000 (₹82,11,850 approx) at its auction debut, held by LCG Auctions.
The auction house expected the iPhone to sell within a range of $50,000 (₹41,05,925) to $100,000. Bidding commenced at $10,000 on June 30th, gradually climbing to roughly $41,776 (₹34,30,624 approx) by July 13th.
However, the final day of the auction witnessed a sudden surge in bids. The price jumped to $108,356 in the closing hours, finally resting at $158,644.
Including taxes, the final price tag for the original 4GB iPhone model reached a staggering $190,372 (₹1,56,33,253 approx). The auctioned item, still sealed in its original box, features an image of the iPhone and all its app icons.
The original iPhone 4GB model was introduced to the world by Steve Jobs at MacWorld San Francisco in 2007, with an initial price tag of $499. This auction has catapulted its value approximately 318 times higher than its debut price.
The rare 4GB variant is considered the “Holy Grail” among iPhone collectors, with LCG Auctions attributing its extreme scarcity to its limited production run.
The original iPhone was launched with a 3.5-inch TFT display and was available in three storage variants: 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB.
It featured a rear-facing 2MP camera and was equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi, and a USB 2.0 port.
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