First-Generation iPod from 2001 sells for record price

A sealed 2001 iPod has sold at auction for a record sum, reports MacRumors.

The first-generation device, still in its original shrink wrap and never opened, went for $40,264 this month at an RR Auction sale.

The previous record was set in 2023, when a similar unit sold for $29,000. Back at launch in the U.S., the original iPod retailed for just $399.

The 2001 iPod was notably lightweight, featuring an LCD screen with then-high resolution and backlighting. It could store over 1,000 songs and offered up to 10 hours of battery life. Its signature feature was the scroll wheel, designed for simple one-handed navigation.