An unopened, first-generation iPhone from 2007 is hitting the auction block — and it's expected to fetch as much as $100,000
- A first-generation iPhone from 2007 is headed to auction, where it's estimated to fetch as much as $100,000.
- The unopened 4GB iPhone, still in its original packaging, hits the auction block Friday.
First-generation iPhones have been fetching record prices at recent auctions — and another one is hitting the block.
LCG Auctions is listing a factory-sealed, 4GB original iPhone that the auction house estimates could fetch between $50,000 and $100,000.
"Despite the extensive worldwide media exposure our previous sales have received and the hundreds of contacts we've had with consumers who thought they had a factory-sealed original iPhone, this is the only 4GB factory-sealed version to surface," said Mark Montero, founder of LCG Auctions, in a press release. "Based upon our recent record-setting sales and the fact that the 4GB model is probably 20-times rarer than the 8GB version, we would not be surprised if it establishes a new record sale price."
When Apple unveiled its first iPhone in 2007, the device came with either 4GB or 8GB of storage, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, a 2-megapixel camera, and a web browser. Its retail price at the time was $599. Consumers flocked to the 8GB model, and Apple discontinued its 4GB phone soon after, making those tough to find, LCG said. The 4GB offering was later replaced by a 16GB iPhone.
The consignor of the 4GB iPhone hitting the auction block was part of the original engineering team at Apple when the iPhone first launched, according to the press release.
In addition to the 4GB iPhone, a factory-sealed 8GB original iPhone will also hit the auction block Friday; LCG estimates it will fetch $45,000 to $65,000. A factory-sealed 16GB model, which LCG estimates will get $20,000 to $30,000, will also be auctioned.
Early iPhones have found great success at recent auctions, selling for significantly higher than their original retail prices.
In October, a factory-sealed, 8GB first-generation iPhone listed by LCG sold for $39,339.60, setting a record at the time. Then in February, another unopened, 8GB first-release iPhone auctioned for a whopping $63, 356, establishing a new record.
Bidding on the iPhones opens Friday at 5pm ET, and the auction runs through July 16.