Unopened first-generation 2007 iPhone fetches more than 75 times its original price at auction

A first-generation iPhone from 2007 has sold at auction for an absolutely eye-watering price.

Some people are busting to get their hands on the latest iPhone 14 (which will set Aussie customers back a whopping USD$$799 [AUD$1,749, £970]).

But if you thought that's high then wait till you see the final bidding offer for this first-gen phone that was still in its original box.

Fifteen years after Apple launched the world-changing smartphone for a meagre USD$499 (AUD$599, £381), an unopened handset has gone for an absolute whopper at an auction in Los Angeles, as per Insider.

PA Images / Alamy

The OG 8GB Apple iPhone sold for a whopping USD$39,339 (AUD$62,345, £34,887).

So, if you calculate inflation, the first generation iPhone would set you back roughly USD$852 (AUD$1,350, £748) in 2022.

That means the untouched phone fetched more than 75 times its original price.

Incredible.

So, if you happen to have one of these golden oldies lying around and - for some reason - it's still in its original packaging then you could make a motza.

The very first iPhone changed the world as we knew it as it basically combined an iPod and a mobile phone into one device.

When the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs first unveiled the revolutionary phone a decade-and-a-half-ago, Jobs called it a combination of 'an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator'.

Apple revolutionised smartphones and mobile technology with a small, square device with a tiny 3.5-inch screen, a 2-megapixel camera, and a web browser.

Our tiny minds were blown.

PA Images / Alamy

Gen Zers need to keep in mind that this was in the olden days.

As in, before Instagram or TikTok even existed. Wild, right? And, get this: there wasn't even a camera for selfies.

According to SkyNews, the expensive phone that sold at auction features a picture of the phone with its vintage home screen.

The phone also boasts now-defunct apps like the iPod for listening to sick beats, and built-in YouTube.

The vintage item was sold in 'exceptional condition', as per LCG Auctions.

Its factory seal is intact, and has the 'correct seam details and tightness'.

"Brand new, never activated. Collectors and investors would be hard-pressed to find a superior example," LCG Auctions said, as per SkyNews.

The phone attracted nearly 30 bids with the winning offer enough to buy a whopping 39 individual iPhone 14 Pros. Yikes.

Topics: News, iPhone, Apple, Technology

Rachel Lang

Rachel Lang is a Digital Journalist at LADbible. During her career, she has interviewed Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull in the lead up to the 2016 federal election, ran an editorial campaign on the war in Yemen, and reported on homelessness in the lead-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding in Windsor. She also once wrote a yarn on the cheese and wine version of Fyre Festival.

@rlangjournalist