In January 2007, Steve Jobs unveiled the first-ever iPhone, promising to "make history" with Apple's new product. The sleek new device included a touchscreen, a 2-megapixel camera, visual voicemail and a true web browser. "If the iPhone works as good as Jobs' demo, it will be a hit product," Dan Farber wrote for ZDNet.
The iPhone was indeed a hit, and Apple did make history by changing the landscape of mobile communications.
In fact, the original iPhone is such an iconic device that an unopened, first-gen iPhone sold for$35,414 at auction last week.
The Model A1203 device, with 8 GB of storage, came in factory-sealed condition. The auction house RR Auction noted that the box features a life-size image of the iPhone with 12 icons on the screen, indicating that it is from the earliest production -- a thirteenth icon for iTunes came later in 2007. The original 8 GB iPhone went on sale in mid-2007 for$599.
The device was up for auction as part of RR Auction's curated "Apple, Jobs, and Computer Hardware" auction, which featured more than 70 items up for bid. The auction closed on Aug. 18.
The auction also featured an Apple-1 circuit board that was hand-soldered by Apple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak and reportedly used to secure Apple's first big order. The prototype sold for$677,196.
Additionally, an unopened first-generation original Apple iPod (5GB) sold for$25,000.