This 1st-gen iPhone was sold at whopping Rs 52 lakh ($63K) at auction

San Francisco: A first-generation iPhone has sold for a record-breaking price of $63,356 (approx Rs 52,00,000) at an auction, the highest sale ever recorded for an original 2007 iPhone.

On Sunday evening, an iPhone, still factory sealed, sold for $52,797 at LCG Auctions (a premier auction house in the US) with a 20 per cent buyer’s premium fee bringing the total sale to over $60,000, according to iMore.

Karen Green, a cosmetic tattoo artist in the US, received the 8GB smartphone as a congratulations gift for starting a new job in 2007.

The device (sold at LCG auction) was specifically meant for those who are fans of the device and the auction proved it. The iPhone was introduced by Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007 at MacWorld San Francisco. The device was released at retail for $499/ $599 on June 29, 2007. Speaking about the specifications, the device offered 4GB /8GB of storage, 2MP back camera, iOS 3, 3.5mm jack, 3.5 inch display and a 1400mAh battery.

Originally released as an AT&T exclusive (an American multinational telecommunications holding company), the iPhone did not work with any other carriers at launch.

Green chose to keep the first-generation iPhone sealed in order to avoid losing her Verizon (an American multinational telecommunications company) phone lines.

Fast forward 16 years and her decision to stay with Verizon has paid off handsomely, the report mentioned.

The cost of original iPhones has risen dramatically in recent years, with prices reaching as high as $39,000 last year for a sealed first-generation iPhone, it added.

Meanwhile, Apple’s upcoming smartphone iPhone 15 Ultra is likely to launch at a starting price of $1,299, a significant increase from the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s starting price of $1,099.

(With IANS inputs)