A used iPhone 1S recently sold for £45,000, so that’s how much your old one might be worth.
This week, someone paid a steep sum to get their hands on a brand new, never-opened Apple iPhone.
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iPhone 1s that have never been used or even opened have skyrocketed in value as a result of their increasing rarity as a collector’s item.
In June 2007 the first of its kind sold for just $500.
A brand new, never-opened iPhone 1 from 2014 is now worth around $4,000.
It’s now sold for £41,000 more at auction.
“The iPhone ushered in the modern age of the smartphone and catapulted Apple to the top of the charts as one of the world’s most valuable companies,” the RR Auctions spokesperson said.
It was the original iPhone’s “slate” form factor that ushered in a new era in smartphone design.
The iPhone’s capacitive touchscreen interface replaced nearly all of the device’s physical buttons.
Essentially launching the market for apps with the introduction of the App Store, it “put the internet in our pockets with the first full-featured mobile web browser.”
Ex-Apple employee who bought the phone new when it came out.
Top tips for collecting old mobile phones
Listed below are some suggestions from LoveAntiques for vintage mobile phone collectors.
This is how much money you could make selling your old cell phone today.
1. Pre-production iPhone 1, £10,000+
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When it was first introduced in 2007, Apple’s iPhone represented a watershed moment in the history of mobile phone design and concept.
The model’s pre-production prototype could be worth more than £10,000, so hold on to it if you can.
Auctions have seen prices of over £30,000 for such phones.
Just remember that the phone is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it, and that prices can vary widely.
Keep an eye out for regular iPhones that have prototype software installed and are being sold as the real deal.
2. Motorola 8000x, £800-£3,500
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The Motorola 8000X (also known as the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X) was the very first mobile phone that could be held in one hand.
In the years between 1983 and 1994, Motorola released a line of mobile phones.
The 8000X came in three different color schemes: beige and cream, black and white, and white.
Although large by today’s standards, the phone was at one time considered more compact than in-car models.
3. Nokia 7700, £1,000-£2,000
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There was a prototype model of the Nokia 7700 built between 2003 and 2004, but the phone was never commercially released.
This is the reason for its high estimated value of between £1,000 and £2,000.
Though it might have been a serious contender for the title of first smartphone if it had been released, the device now exists primarily as a collectible.
4. Mobira Senator NMT, £800-£2,000
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First introduced by Nokia in the early 1980s, the Mobira Senator NMT was the company’s take on the mobile phone.
The Motorola 8000x weighed two pounds, while this one weighed an excessive 22.
The phone’s target audience was drivers, but it could also be used outside of the car.
5. IBM Simon Personal Communicator, £800-£2,000
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In 1994, IBM introduced the Simon Person Communicator, a portable PDA with a touchscreen.
In retrospect, it has been considered the first true smartphone, even though the term “smartphone” was not coined until after its release.
Mitsubishi Electric produced this phone that included a number of useful features including texting, emailing, and an integrated calendar and contact manager.
6. Nokia Sapphire 8800, £500-£2,000
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After its debut in 2005, the Nokia 8800 quickly gained a reputation as a premium model.
Reasons for its success include its lightweight design, sleek slide mechanism, and scratch-resistant screen.
It came in a variety of hues, including gold, black, silver, and sapphire (the latter of which is now worth up to £2,000).
7. Technophone PC105T, £600-£1,500
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In 1986, Technophone introduced the PC105T, which they claimed was the first mobile phone to be small enough to fit in a user’s shirt pocket.
The Department of Trade and Industry in the United Kingdom funded the creation of the phone.
Inspiring government policymakers to recognize the mass-market potential of mobiles, despite their diminutive size.
The Science Museum claims that its original price was £1,990, making it prohibitively expensive for most consumers.
8. Orbitel Citiphone, £600-£1,000
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Rarely seen these days, 1987’s Orbitel Citiphone brick phones were instant hits when they were first introduced.
One of the first commercially available cellphones in the United Kingdom.
LoveAntiques estimates that the current value of a collector’s model of this phone to be between £600 and £1,000 GBP.
9. Ericsson R290 Satellite Phone, £300-£1,000
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Ericsson R290 Satellite Phone was one of the first satellite phones, allowing users to make long-distance calls to loved ones as soon as their release in 1999.
This phone has a built-in modem for data and fax transmissions in addition to a collapsible antenna that is the same length as the phone itself.
According to the study, the value of the phones has increased anywhere from £300 to £1,000.
10. Rainbow StarTAC, £100-£400
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In 1996, Motorola introduced their StarTAC line of clamshell phones.
The United Colours of Benetton phone is a nickname for a limited-edition, rainbow-colored variant of the phone.
There has been an estimated increase in value of this household item to anywhere from £100 to £400.
Here, we compile a list of some other vintage cell phones that could be worth a small fortune.
It has been estimated that the average British household has £600 worth of obsolete technology and unused devices stashed away in their drawers.
British citizens are said to have “55 million of unused phones phones lying around,” with the capital city of London being the worst offender.
