September 4, 2025, 2:12 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
About 18 years after its introduction, the original iPhone from 2007 has become a true rarity. In its original packaging, this vintage smartphone is worth a lot of money. A buyer paid a record-breaking $63,000 for it at an auction.
First-generation iPhones in unopened original packaging are veritable gold mines. At auctions, this pioneering smartphone consistently fetches new record sums. A person who bought the original iPhone but never unpacked it was able to auction it off for $63,356.40 (59,427.04 euros) online.
In Original Packaging and Excellent Condition
According to the description on the online auction house’s site “LCG Auctions,” the item sold in 2023 was a “first edition example in outstanding condition.” All edges and surfaces were undamaged, and even the original shrink wrap was intact. The images showed that the packaging appeared as good as new.
The information indicated that the stickers on the back under the wrap were also in their original state. The wear on the packaging itself from storage was described as “minimal,” meaning no bent edges and no faded colors. Similarly well-preserved first-generation iPhones were auctioned in August 2022 and October 2022 for $35,414 and $39,339, respectively. The 2023 auction brought the seller an additional $24,000, setting a new record.
Did you know why photos of the iPhone always show 9:41 a.m.?
There Are Only 11 Units of This Anniversary iPhone
First-Generation iPhone
The first-generation iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs himself on January 9, 2007. “Time Magazine” called it “the invention of the year 2007.” The auctioned item was the more expensive version with 8 gigabytes (GB) of built-in storage, which originally sold for $599. In Germany, the smartphone was only available with a T-Mobile contract for 399 euros.
While the first iPhone was not the first smartphone with a touch display, it revolutionized the entire industry with its multitouch finger input and smooth animations. The device featured a 2-megapixel camera (without video function), a capacitive 3.7-inch touch screen, and 16 pre-installed apps. One of these was the YouTube app with the iconic TV symbol. At launch, there was no App Store, as Steve Jobs envisioned the future in web apps that ran exclusively through the integrated browser. It wasn’t until the launch of the iPhone 3G and iPhone OS 2.0 a year later that Apple introduced this arguably most important iPhone feature.
A Disappointment for the Buyer?
Are you familiar with Schrödinger’s cat? Simply put, it’s a paradox where a cat in a box is both dead and alive until the box is opened. Similarly, the original packaged iPhone is like this thought experiment. After about 18 years in the sealed package, the built-in battery is likely long discharged. Unfortunately, lithium-ion cells tend to swell when left uncharged for an extended period.
We hope the lucky buyer hasn’t taken the iPhone out of its original packaging—only to find a pried-open case. It’s best to leave it in the box; it would be a shame to waste all that money.