eBay sellers want $50K for iPhones with TikTok—The internet wonders: "But are people even buying it?"

Used iPhones with TikTok installed are reportedly selling on eBay for up to $50,000. Fifty grand. For a phone. With an app. If nobody taught you about “late-stage capitalism,” this is it.

The U.S. decided to ban TikTok (temporarily for now), making it vanish from the App Store. And just like that, people realized their iPhones with TikTok installed could turn into a fortune. Peak hustle culture.

But while sellers are out here channeling their inner Wolf of Wall Street, the rest are just side-eyeing this whole situation.

One X user kept it simple, asking the real question:

“But are people even buying it?”

Then there’s the user who perfectly summed up the absurdity:

“Imagine spending between 10k to 50k just to see Tiktoks 💀”

Another comment had zero chill, proclaiming:

“If you paying 50k for an iPhone you deserve to be scammed.”

Meanwhile, one user decided to join the seller squad, announcing:

“I have AT LEAST ONE iPhone with TikTok still installed and now up for sale. Bidding starts at 5K….annnndddd GO! 🚦”

Some users kept the roast alive with lines like:

“Paying so much for a cell phone must be a crime 😭”

One user joked: “Looks like TikTok is the new cryptocurrency. 💸”

A user declared: “Anyone that purchases this needs serious help”

“Imagine being that desperate for TikTok 💀”, a user quipped.

“Me looking at the people who purchase them 😂”, a user said.

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Why are people auctioning iPhones on eBay for $50,000?

As of now, over 2,000 iPhones are up for grabs on eBay, with prices swinging between $100 and $50,000.

One listing features an iPhone 12 Pro Max with TikTok pre-installed, priced at a casual $50,000. The app you can download for free, plus a phone you could snag for under $500 elsewhere.

Another listing has an iPhone 15 Pro Max at a modest $10,000, boasting over 1,800 views in just one day.

Despite these price tags, most listings don’t have a single bid. Instead, the lower-priced options are catching all the love—because apparently, not everyone wants to mortgage their soul for a smartphone.

iPhones with apps from their owner’s Apple ID can retain those apps if the buyer resists the urge to reset or restore. But the moment you restore it using iCloud? Say goodbye to those pre-installed apps, like TikTok or any rare ones you were hoping to show off.

This little detail is part of what’s driving the hype—but let’s not act like it justifies slapping a five-figure price tag on last year’s hardware.

Some of these “pricey” iPhones might not even sell for the amounts they’re flaunting. It’s the Best Offer Accepted feature on eBay move that lets sellers set aspirational prices for kicks, but settle for much lower offers when the reality check hits.

So that $50,000 listing could end up selling for something closer to $5,000. Still ridiculous.

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Is the TikTok addiction real?

Look, we all thought we were just hopping on TikTok for “five minutes” but now experts are issuing warnings.

It’s not a coincidence. TikTok’s design with its For You Page (FYP) has much variety, and somehow, you’re still hungry.

That algorithm that you’re proud of is addictive. Social media addiction, they say, is the umbrella TikTok falls under.

According to a Frontiers in Psychology study, TikTok is the ultimate brain rot. The app’s advanced algorithm doesn’t just show you content you might like; it’s a mind-reader.

TikTok addiction has ventured into serious territory: physical and psychological issues. Some users have developed symptoms eerily similar to Tourette syndrome after marathon scrolling sessions.

And then there’s the withdrawal. If the TikTok ban hits permanently, users can suffer anxiety and irritability, as per The Post.

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Background on TikTok's Ban

TikTok was actually banned in the U.S. following a Supreme Court ruling that backed a law imposing restrictions on the app. On January 19, 2025, TikTok vanished entirely from Apple and Google’s app stores.

President Donald Trump decided to rescue TikTok, signing an executive order to try and suspend the ban. But even with Trump’s attempted rescue mission, as of January 22, 2025, TikTok remained unavailable for new downloads on iOS devices.