Ebay Auction for a Rare iPhone Prototype Crosses $32,000 [Update: Auction Removed]

Update: It looks like the auction page has been taken down. Apple has previously taken down eBay auctions of iPhone prototypes but it’s unclear if that’s the case here as well.

AneBay auctionfor what is claimed to be a rare prototype of the original iPhone, is garnering a lot of interest from users. People are bidding on the prototype like crazy and the auction has (at the time of this writing)crossed over $32,000 within a dayof going live.

The pictures in the auction show off aniPhone with a back that reads things like version 1.1.1— which according to the seller is a prototype iPhone built in Cupertino in 2006. The device has adifferent battery packthan what you’ll find in the release version of the original iPhone, and it’sslightly heavier too, at 144 grams.

Whether or not the prototype is real is anyone’s guess, but it sure looks like it could be the real thing. Apparently a bunch of people think so too, since they’re bidding in the tens of thousands to get their hands on the coveted piece of Apple history.

The description of the product on eBay mentions that thephone runs OS Xand Earthbound, which rings somewhat close to Steve Jobs announcement regarding the iPhone where he said the device will run OS X (even though the actual release unit did not). It also states that the device has a number of differences from regular release iPhones including the fact thatthere’s a ‘bell’ icon on the mute button, different internals including the WiFi radios, and that it was made in Cupertino unlike mass produced iPhones that are assembled in China.

Akshay Gangwar

Greetings, tech titans and fellow literary time-travelers! I’m Akshay, your tech-whisperer and Harry Potter’s number one stalker – seriously, don’t ask me how many times I’ve read those books; it’s borderline unhealthy.

Working in the tech journalism industry since 2016, I have 7 years of experience covering everything from technology news, to well-researched resource articles. Now the Content Strategist at Beebom, I often pen down op-eds for our website, sharing expert commentary on the latest in technology, AI, and electric cars.

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