High Prices for iPhones with TikTok After App “Ban” Announcement

The removal of TikTok and several other ByteDance applications from the App Store by both Apple and Google has led to a remarkable trend: users are purchasing entire new phones through eBay just to access the popular short-form video platform.

On January 18, 2025, both tech giants took action by pulling TikTok and other associated ByteDance apps from their stores. This move coincided with an impending ban on TikTok in the United States, which was set to impose fines of up to $5,000 per user for downloading or updating the app post-January 19.

Although an Executive Order was signed by President Trump to temporarily suspend the enforcement of this ban and associated penalties, many users who had uninstalled TikTok found themselves unable to reinstall the app. Consequently, these users have sought alternative methods to regain access, with many opting to purchase phones already equipped with the app.

Surge in iPhones Sold with TikTok Installed

Since the apps were taken down on January 18, there has been a notable surge in the sale of iPhones that come pre-loaded with TikTok. Analyzing eBay listings reveals that many of these devices have sold at prices modestly above their typical market rates. Some, however, have fetched exorbitantly high prices.

A striking example is an iPhone 14 Pro Max with 256GB of storage that was listed for $2,500, representing a remarkable $1,300 increase over Apple’s launch price in 2022. Another listing featured an iPhone 15 Pro Max, also with 256GB storage, that was initially posted for $4,000, but the final sale price remains undisclosed following an accepted offer.

iPhone ebay sales — Sales of iPhones on eBay have skyrocketed since the ban.

One particularly astounding transaction involved a base model iPhone 15 Pro, complete with both TikTok and CapCut installed, which sold for an eye-watering $13,997. This price is nearly $13,000 above Apple’s retail price of $999 when the device was released in 2023.

Yet, it’s essential to approach such listings with caution. Some sales may be fraudulent, as sellers might inflate prices to lure buyers, often failing to fulfill the transaction once the auction concludes. Thus, the authenticity of these sales can be questionable.

This phenomenon is not unprecedented; in 2014, devices embedded with the Flappy Bird app saw similar inflated prices on eBay after the game’s removal from the App Store, illustrating a notable trend of users paying premium prices for sought-after apps.

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