14 DAY TRIAL // Even by today’s standards, the original iPhone is an amazing piece of work. But try to use one and you’ll notice that you can’t enjoy any new apps, or even YouTube. But that’s hardly relevant for someone who happens to own a sealed unit.
Earlier this week, eBay seller theappleipodbay uploaded an offer consisting of two original iPhone units (also known as iPhone 2G), one factory-sealed, the other in near-pristine condition, but without a seal.
A collector’s item
After putting them up for sale, someone decided to pay for the asking price: $25,000 (€20,000). Don’t try to find the logic in it, especially if you’re not an Apple fan. But even as a non-Apple user, one can still see a good investment in this acquisition. Here’s a bunch of hints, straight from the seller himself:
“iPhone combines three products - a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching - into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone also introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting you control everything with just your fingers. So it ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, completely redefining what you can do on a mobile phone.”
Worth more tomorrow
Much like the Apple I – which can fetch up to $1,000,000 (€800,000) today if the unit is in good working condition –, the iPhone 2G will one day be a landmark piece of technology. Despite what some people might have you believe, the iPhone is basically the first real pocket computer. You know, mainly because it actually did what Apple said it would.
Unlike other portable computers, like the God-awful Palm, the Nokia Communicator, or the Windows Mobile attempts, this one could actually do email, web browsing, communications, gaming, and everything else that you wanted from a “handy” PC.
Sure, the price was exorbitant for what it could do – considering what today’s iPhones are capable of – but there were as many technical reasons behind that decision as there were political ones.
It completely shattered the status quo of mobile and it single-handedly destroyed several vendors’ businesses in less than two years after its debut. Let’s not even mention the killer design and the fact that it completely eliminated the need to have dozens of buttons occupying half of the phone’s face.
If you're feeling sad it wasn't you who bought this pair of 2G iPhones, don't be. There's an identical offer up on eBay and the seller charges less than half the amount mentioned above.
