In a nutshell: Manufacturing unit sealed, first-generation iPhones have been commanding absurd quantities of cash at public sale as of late. Again in February, one such instance bought for a report $63,356 – over 100x the quantity the handset initially went for. You may make certain that most of those remaining first-gen iPhones can be tucked away in non-public collections for years to return… however not all of them.
Tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee just lately shelled out almost $43,000 ($32,000 plus taxes, delivery and charges) for a sealed 8GB iPhone. Fairly than protect the prized possession, he promptly unboxed it simply as somebody might need roughly 16 years in the past.
Apple’s first-gen iPhone was supplied in 4GB and 8GB capacities, priced at $499 and $599, respectively. Each required a two-year contract via AT&T, the cellphone’s unique service. Many had been delay by the excessive price ticket however in actuality, different premium handsets just like the Palm Treo had been equally as costly.
Unboxing the iPhone was a singular expertise again within the day. The packaging felt premium nevertheless it was the cellphone and the way far forward of the competitors it was that actually made issues distinctive. I used to be in a position to dig up a few outdated photographs from my unique unboxing, and every thing seems to be the identical as in MKBHD’s video.
Luckily for MKBHD, his buy does seem like new outdated inventory (not a used cellphone repackaged and made to look new). All the equipment you’d anticipate finding had been there together with the charging / information cable, a set of EarPods, a docking station and all the cellphone’s documentation. The shrink wrap on the skin of the field additionally seems to be to be of the correct age. The retail field even got here inside a big delivery crate to make sure secure supply, however I assume you must count on that degree of care when paying a lot for a smartphone.
Conversely, he wasn’t in a position to get previous the iTunes boot display as a result of age of the software program. What’s extra, it appears as if the unique charging brick was faulty because the cellphone would not cost till he switched out the adapter.