Apple CEO Steve Jobs attends a press conference in central London, September 18, 2007. Apple … [+]
An original Apple iPhone released in 2007 is up for auction this month. The phone is even factory sealed, according to the sellers. But how much should you pay for a phone that isn’t even a real antique yet? After all, 2007 was only 16 years ago, which means he’s not even old enough to vote. The seller hopes to obtain the incredible sum of $50,000.
How did the auction house, LCG Auctions, arrive at such a high figure? Well, believe it or not, another factory-sealed iPhone sold for over $39,000 in October. And it’s a testament to the premium collectors are willing to pay for anything with an Apple name.
“The first original iPhone in factory-sealed condition is widely considered a premium asset among high-end collectors,” LCG Auctions said in the iPhone listing on its website.
“Impressive public sales of $35,414 in August and $39,339 in October last year resulted in extensive media coverage from major outlets, including the the wall street journal, CNBC, fox business, and others. There is no doubt that interest in culturally relevant collectibles is growing rapidly, and despite the impressive sales figures, many believe the space is still in its infancy,” the auction house continued.
People who owned the original iPhone will remember that it lacked many features that we take for granted today. Yes, the original iPhone had maps in 2007, but it didn’t have GPS, meaning users had to enter both the origin and destination addresses to get directions. anywhere.
I actually remember traveling to Detroit for work in 2008 and parking my rental car on the side of the road to get an address just so I could enter the address where I was, hopelessly lost in a city that I didn’t know. It was either that or buy a paper map, which seems downright funny today.
The original iPhone also didn’t have Siri or any other voice-recognition software that lets people avoid typing cumbersome inputs. But no Siri also means no turn-by-turn voice instructions for Maps.
Yes, it’s been almost 16 years since the iPhone was first introduced. And while he might not be old enough to vote, those times really do feel like ancient history when you look at the technology we all carry around in our pockets today. If only Apple could convince shoppers that its latest updates were worth chasing.
If you have the money and the desire, bidding for this unopened iPhone starts at $2,500. But you have been warned. It could easily climb to $50,000 if history is any guide.