Someone just paid over $39,000 for a 15-year-old iPhone—more 50 times its original price - CNBC

How overmuch would you wage for a portion of high-tech history? For 1 collector, the reply was conscionable implicit $39,000.

That's however overmuch the bidder paid this play for a factory-sealed exemplary of the first-edition iPhone — their winning bid topped retired astatine $39,339.60.

The 8GB smartphone was sold by LCG Auctions connected Sunday. The instrumentality primitively retailed for $599 successful 2007 — oregon $852 successful 2022 aft ostentation — and rapidly saw its terms ascent from the opening bid of $2,500 to good into six figures.

"We expected the bidding for this point to beryllium fervent and it did not disappoint arsenic a fistful of avid and blase collectors drove the terms from conscionable implicit $10,000 connected Sunday day to this record-setting magnitude by Sunday night," LCG Auctions laminitis Mark Montero said successful a statement.

"We congratulate the winners, our consignors and each of the bidders for making this 1 of the astir progressive auctions successful our history."

Steve Jobs first unveiled the archetypal iPhone successful 2007, and Apple rapidly sold millions of units.

The telephone that sold implicit the play was advertised arsenic being successful "exceptional condition", with "pristine" labels beneath the integrative seal and nary aftermarket stickers connected the box.

In summation to the 8GB of retention the telephone besides featured a 2-megapixel camera.

For context, the basal exemplary of the recently-released iPhone 14 has 128GB of retention and sports a 12-megapixel main camera with an ultra wide lens.

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