Rare 4GB Original iPhone Expected to Fetch Up to $100K at Auction

A factory sealed original 2007 iPhone is going up for auction starting tomorrow, and it is expected to sell for up to $100,000. While other original iPhones have been sold off in recent months, this is the first model that has 4GB of storage rather than 8GB.

iPhone Sealed in Box Feature 16x9 1
As auction site LCG Auctions explains, the ‌iPhone‌ was originally sold with either 4GB or 8GB of storage when it launched 16 years ago on June 29, 2007. The 8GB model was far more popular, leading Apple to discontinue the 4GB model after just a few months in favor of a higher 16GB capacity.

Because the 4GB original ‌iPhone‌ was only available for a limited amount of time, it is the rarest of the first-generation ‌iPhone‌ models. "Based upon our recent record-setting sales and the fact that the 4GB model is probably 20-times rarer than the 8GB version, we would not be surprised if it establishes a new record sale price," said LCG Auctions founder Mark Montero.

The person selling the ‌iPhone‌ was part of the original engineering team when the ‌iPhone‌ launched, according to LCG Auctions, and it comes with a letter of provenance. The 4GB model was sold for $499, while the 8GB version cost $599.

Just this year, an 8GB original ‌iPhone‌ sold for $63,000 in February, while a second sealed original ‌iPhone‌ with 8GB of storage sold for $54,000 in March.

LCG Auctions is also selling an 8GB original ‌iPhone‌ and a 16GB original ‌iPhone‌, both of which are factory sealed. The auctions begin on June 30 and run through July 16.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases Firmware Updates for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday November 11, 2024 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released firmware updates for both AirPods 4 models (version number 7B20) and the AirPods Pro 2 with both Lightning and USB-C charging cases (version number 7B21). All of these AirPods models were previously on firmware version 7B19. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in firmware versions 7B20 and 7B21, but we will update this story if we find...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

18 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Wednesday November 13, 2024 2:09 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 next month, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well....
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Camera Modules to Enter Mass Production Next Month

Tuesday November 12, 2024 2:56 am PST by
Apple's camera module supplier for the upcoming iPhone SE 4 is set to begin mass production of the components in December, according to a new report coming out of Korea. Economic newspaper Ajunews reports that LG Innotek will supply the front camera module for the budget-friendly fourth-generation device. Final tests are now said to be underway, with mass production of the module following...
iphone 6 thickness

iPhone 17 'Air' May Not Be Much Thinner Than iPhone 6

Monday November 11, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 17 "Air" model may not be as thin as Apple planned, according to a rumor originating in Korea. According to the news aggregator account "yeux1122" on Naver, citing industry sources, Apple has run into problems making the new iPhone 17 model sufficiently thin. The device's reduced thickness is apparently dependent on manufacturing a battery with a thinner substrate, but...
new mac holiday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Monday November 11, 2024 7:45 am PST by
Black Friday is getting closer, and prices on MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac mini computers have started to drop as the shopping holiday nears. These deals include the latest models of the M4 MacBook Pro and iMac. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site...
iOS 18

Here's Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 3

Monday November 11, 2024 4:53 pm PST by
Apple seeded the third betas of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 to developers for testing today. While the third betas of each update are minor relative to the first two betas, there are still a handful of changes across the Photos app, TV app, and more. A corresponding iOS 18.2 public beta with these changes will likely be released later this week, and Apple previously confirmed that the software...
General Final Cut Pro Feature

Apple Likely to Announce Final Cut Pro Update This Week With These New Features

Sunday November 10, 2024 12:13 pm PST by
In its announcement video for the new Mac mini last month, Apple teased an "upcoming" version of Final Cut Pro for the Mac. Apple will likely announce the update during the annual Final Cut Pro Creative Summit, which begins this Wednesday. The conference is held in association with Apple, and attendees will be visiting Apple Park on the first day. Apple already teased four new features...
iPad iOS 16 WP Display Feature eric edit

Apple to Launch AI-Powered Home 'Command Center' as Soon as March 2025

Tuesday November 12, 2024 1:09 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch an AI-powered smart home display as soon as March 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The display will measure in at approximately six inches, and while it is similar to an iPad, it is square rather than rectangular and it has thick bezels around the edges. There is a camera at the top front so that it can be used for FaceTime, plus there are internal speakers...

Top Rated Comments

sw1tcher Avatar
18 months ago
The person selling the iPhone was part of the original engineering team when the iPhone launched, according to LCG Auctions, and it comes with a letter of provenance.
Perfect opportunity for MR to do a "Original iPhone vs iPhone 15 Pro: What to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade" piece for the seller.
Score: 64 Votes (Like | Disagree)
v0lume4 Avatar
18 months ago
To think that iOS itself is 8GB now. Funny how times change.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Applebot1 Avatar
18 months ago
Beautiful piece of technology back in the day. Apple at their best.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fatTribble Avatar
18 months ago
I still can’t imagine why these are so desirable. I mean I get the nostalgia, but even at a tenth of that price it seems like an odd purchase to me. Just giving an opinion. I realize others will disagree.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
18 months ago
MKBHD you are up! You should purchase a 4GB Original iPhone now. Double the cost. This is your chance. Let's go! ?

See it in action below 7:15.

Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
afd Avatar
18 months ago
I’ve still got the bag from original iPhone. Is that worth anything? Still works.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)