Apple iPhone models are notoriously pricey, but if you thought a top-spec iPhone 14 Pro Max wasn’t enough, then perhaps you should look at buying a super-rare Apple iPhone 4 instead.
A sealed example of the rare 4GB model from 2007 has just sold at LCG Auctions to an anonymous buyer for (precisely) $190,372.80 USD. When Apple released the phone, it went on to become the tech conglomerate’s most successful product ever. It came as a 4GB or 8GB mobile, and per Kotaku, it was the 4GB version that has gone on to become a collector’s item thanks to it selling out slower, as most people opted for the more expensive, doubled-memory iPhone 4.
Per LCG Auctions, “The original 4GB model is considered a ‘Holy Grail’ amongst iPhone collectors.” It continues to note:
“The lagging sales resulted in Apple making the decision to discontinue the 4GB model on September 5, 2007, just over two months after it was first released. Our offering is an exceedingly rare, factory-sealed, first-release 4GB model in exceptional condition. Virtually flawless along the surface and edges, the factory seal is clean with correct seam details and tightness. Labels on the reverse are correctly pristine beneath the seal. Outstanding color and gloss. Brand new, never activated. The phone’s provenance is pristine as the consignor was part of the original engineering team at Apple when the iPhone first launched. Collectors and investors would be hard-pressed to find a superior example. Relevance and rarity comprise a winning formula for this red-hot collectible.”
The iPhone 4 was estimated to sell between $50,000 USD and $100,000 USD, in line with the sales of two iPhone 4 8GB variants also from 2007 that fetched $39,339 USD and $63,356 USD.
Much like a playing card, a piece of art, and some NFTs, it seems that iPhones are becoming the next must-have collectible. Would you drop almost $200k on one?
Elsewhere, Apple is reportedly releasing MacBooks with next-gen M3 chips this year.
