“On eBay today there are thousands of unlocked first-generation iPhones being offered for sale — individually or in lots of 10 or 20 or more — for prices ranging from about $450 to $700 per 16 GB phone,” Philip Elmer-DeWitt writes for Fortune.
“But if you want to sell yours, you’d better move fast, say people familiar with the business of buying and selling used iPhones,” Elmer-DeWitt writes. “‘I think the eBay market is going to dry up pretty quickly,’ says Aaron Vronko, service manager for Rapid Repair, an iPod and iPhone service bureau in Kalamazoo, Mich. ‘The market is very different today than it is going to be a month from now.'”
Elmer-DeWitt writes, “If you don’t want to take your chances on eBay or Craigslist, there are any number of resellers that will take it off your hands. BuyMyTronics.com, for example, will give you an immediate quote based your answers to their online form. For a 16GB iPhone in good condition with the box intact and all the extras (including working earbuds), they’ll pay $190.92.”
MacDailyNews Take: Who wants to put random used earbuds in their ears? Hello? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
Elmer-DeWitt writes, “That’s if you sell it today. After July 11, all bets are off.”
More in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Journo” for the heads up.]
The market for unlocked iPhones may disappear internationally after July 11, but the demand for an unlocked iPhone here in the US will continue. Lots and lots of people will continue to want one, but won’t, or can’t, use ATT.
I honestly think that the sale of the 1st Gen iPhone will continue to rise.There are 16GB going for a little over $700.00 and 8GB are selling well over $400.00. If someone does sell there 1st Gen iPhone after the 3G iPhone, I believe the price will continue to stay steady or even rise.
@bizlaw
You’re right that an unlocked iPhone will give you more choice for your carrier. There will certainly be people who want to stick with their current one and not switch. Maybe there will be a greater market in the States now since people can’t but iPhones online anymore.
However I feel that with a new phone, better connectivity, and the price cut will be a big incentive.
@ nik
From what I’ve read the later version of the software disable the unlocking or are incompatible.
I’d consider buying an old iPhone used (or on the Apple refurb page) if the price goes below $199, IF I’m allowed to get the old $10 less expensive (per month) plan from ATT.
whatever!? When they come out with a pink iPhone I will buy it for a million dollars. You heard me a million dollars!
How much? In a month, almost nothing. If you can afford the monthly plan, you can afford the money for a new 3G phone.
How much are you going to pay for an old one? $100? $50? $25?
At least they’ll be more valuable than PPC Macs after Snow Job Leopard is released.