Who would pay more than $60,000 for an iPhone 6 prototype?
People do crazy things to get their hands on a new iPhone. They queue for days in a row, travel to another country or pay absurd amounts on black market imports. Still, none of those things is as expensive as the iPhone 6 prototype that is listed on eBay, for which some folks will go as far as paying over $60,000. That's just crazy.
At the time of writing this article, the latest bid for the iPhone 6 prototype -- a 64 GB model -- is $61,100. For the money, you get a hugely overpriced smartphone which may not even be legit. Normally, you would pay $750, off-contract, for a 64 GB iPhone 6, in Silver -- the same color as the prototype -- that is. But, wait, there is more.
Apparently, the seller, who insists that this "is the real deal", got the iPhone 6 prototype by accident, after a Verizon contract renewal. What's more, it does not even run iOS 8, which is what every new iPhone ships with, and there are no FCC markings on the back. If that is not a clear warning sign, I do not know what is.
Even if it's not a fake, you will be unable to use it as you would virtually any other iPhone. It's a brick, and an expensive one at that. That's because, instead of iOS 8, you will allegedly find development software running on the device, because, you know, it is a prototype, which has probably been used during the late development phase of iPhone 6.
Because of its origin, Apple and Verizon may want it back, even if it was indeed sent by mistake -- which seems unlikely, but not impossible -- and someone actually paid for it. That's a huge risk to take, as it might cost the buyer whatever was paid for the iPhone 6 prototype plus any legal fees, in case it gets to court.
There are some upsides, however. The seller says that the winner of the auction will receive the complete package "as well as all the paperwork", and, in case it is "DOA" (dead on arrival), a return is possible. Still, there is no guarantee you will not find yourself in trouble after getting it.