First-generation iPhone sells for $63,000 at auction

Sale price of unopened 2007 mobile device far exceeded estimates of $50,000

Steve Jobs holds up an Apple iPhone at the MacWorld Conference in San Francisco in 2007. AP

An unopened first-generation iPhone has sold for more than $63,000 at auction, smashing expectations of $50,000.

Twenty-seven bids were placed on the 2007 factory-sealed iPhone between February 2 and February 19, with the first bid starting at $2,500, LCG Auctions reported.

Karen Green, the original owner of the vintage device, said she had contacted LCG Auctions when she heard that another first-generation iPhone sold for more than $39,000 at auction last year.

Ms Green appeared on the television show The Doctor & The Diva in 2019, where experts appraised her device at $5,000.

“There’s little doubt that interest in culturally relevant collectibles is rapidly increasing, and despite the impressive sales numbers, many believe the space is still in its infancy,” LCG Auctions said.

She received the iPhone in 2007 but never opened the box because her existing mobile network would have charged her fees if any lines were to be terminated, Business Insider reported.

The first-generation iPhone could hold up to 4GB of memory for $499 or 8GB for $599.

Time magazine labelled the iPhone as its invention of the year in 2007.

The device, which had a 3.5-inch screen and a 2-megapixel camera, did not support third-party apps, unlike today's devices, which can hold thousands.

The base model for the iPhone 14, Apple's latest, comes with a 6.1-inch display and starts at $799.