news/AAPL/2023.02.21/First-generation iPhone sells for more than $63,000.txt

A first-generation iPhone, still factory-sealed inside its box, has sold for more than $63,000, according to LCG Auctions.The 2007 8-GB iPhone opened bidding earlier this month at $2,500. The Apple relic was expected to go for $50,000 but sold after 27 bids Sunday for $63,356.40, more than 100 times its original price of $599."The iconic box featured a life-size image of the iPhone with 12 icons on the screen. It quickly became Apple's most successful product, forever changed the smartphone industry and was named Time Magazine Invention of the Year in 2007," said the LCG Auctions listing.The original owner received the iPhone in 2007 as a gift, but never opened it because she had recently purchased a different phone."I didn't want to get rid of my phone, and I figured, 'It's an iPhone, so it will never go out of date,'" said Karen Green who had it appraised in 2019 when it was estimated to be worth $5,000.After hearing about other unopened original iPhones selling for large sums, Green said she decided to sell."I thought to myself, 'Oh my God, I think I have the original,'" she said. "I called my son and I was like 'Go get the phone and make sure it's not opened.'"The first iPhone was introduced by Apple founder Steve Jobs on Jan. 9, 2007, at MacWorld San Francisco. It included 4GB or 8GB of storage, an "innovative touchscreen," a 2-megapixel camera and a web browser, according to the listing on LCG Auctions."Almost 16 years old, the phone presents magnificently, showcasing sharp corners front and back, rich color and 'case fresh' features," the auction listing read."This is the first original iPhone in acceptable condition to hit the auction block since the record-breaking sale in October. A truly remarkable piece with great appeal to both collectors and investors alike," the auction listing added.In October, a similar iPhone sold for $39,000 at auction.Other early Apple tech artifacts have landed impressive prices at auction, including an Apple computer prototype from the 1970s that sold last year for more than $677,000.In 2021, a 1976 Apple-1 personal computer, wrapped in a wooden case and called "Chaffey College Apple-1," sold for $500,000.Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. (UPI).  Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent., source US Top News