Apple’s iPhone flagship undeniably falls in the premium category of smartphones. The price for older versions keeps dropping as and when newer ones are added to the iPhone family. The latest iPhone device is currently been sold in leading e-commerce and retail stores at a price ranging between Rs 50,900 to Rs 60,000 in India. However, there’s an iPhone 4S on eBay right now which is being bid at $149,999.
The device’s back panel reads “Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011”.
The glass on both the device’s front and back are completely shattered but there is something that makes it worth $149,999 — the back panel of the device has been replaced with casing that honours the late Steve Jobs. The seller — lindsayquinn1414 — claims that the phone is “1 of only 56 phones made to honour the late Steve Jobs.”
(Image Source: lindsayquinn1414)
The description for the iPhone available on eBay is given as: ‘STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION STEVE JOBS SUPER RARE APPLE IPHONE 4S’.
The seller further adds: ‘This item is being sold as is for parts and repair only. This item is still fully functional and can be used. This phone is 1 of only 56 phones made to honor the late Steve Jobs. Please see Apple logo for Authenticity for this phone. Please do research before purchase. There is no cables or any other accessories included with this item. There are cracks on the front and back of the phone. Please see pictures. This is being sold as is for parts or repair so there is NO RETURNS FOR THIS ITEM.’
The device’s back panel reads “Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011”. This creation, as reported by BGR, was originally designed by a Hong Kong-based design student Jonathan Mak shortly after Steve Jobs passed away. This was done as a form of tribute to Jobs.
Steve Jobs tribute designed by Jonathan Mak
The design went viral in no time with companies re-producing unlicensed accessories including phone cases and posters that carried a similar design. Among them was a company named Goldgenie which manufactured a special edition iPhone 4S with the same design. Apparently, the company only made 56 of these devices.
The limited edition gold edition iPhone made by Goldgenie
However, the device made by Goldgenie had its rear panel replaced with a gold version using Mak’s logo. Therefore, the device in question that is currently been sold on eBay is not among the ones that were initially sold by Goldgenie. Hence, there is a high possibility that this might be among those that were sold in the grey market.
