First-generation unopened iPhone sold at auction for nearly $40,000

An unopened first generation iPhone was sold for $39,339.60 at the fall auction of the LCG (London Capital Group) Auctions 2022, 25% more than the auctioneers expected.

The starting price of the device was 2,500 dollars, and the organizers hoped to get 30,000 dollars for it. During the auction, which was held from September 30 to October 16, a total of 28 bids were submitted, and the final bid was about 40,000 dollars.

Steve Jobs had introduced this device on January 9, 2007 at the MacWorld trade show in San Francisco, and on June 29, this smartphone entered the market at a price of $499/$599 dollars. It had a touch screen, 4/8 GB of memory, a 2 megapixel video camera, and a web browser. On the box, the smartphone was depicted in real size - and with 12 icons on the screen. The iPhone quickly became Apple's most successful product and changed the smartphone industry forever. In 2007, Time magazine named it the "Invention of the Year."

The aforesaid iPhone that was put up for auction was released in 2007, but it had never been activated. The original packaging, with polyethylene and factory seal, is preserved. The bar codes and other information on the box are also perfectly preserved.

The auctioneers have called this lot a real “find” for collectors and investors.