iPhones With Tiktok Sell For Up To £20K On eBay As App Remains Absent In US App Store

Some iPhone users who retained TikTok during its brief US ban are now seeing their devices fetch eye-watering prices on eBay, as the app remains unavailable in the Apple Store.

Those with TikTok pre-installed can still access it, a relief for millions of Americans after its partial return over the weekend. However, users who deleted the app or never downloaded it are left without access, as TikTok remains absent from US app stores.

The uncertainty surrounding TikTok's availability stems from Donald Trump's executive order, which delayed the ban but failed to provide clarity on its future. Meanwhile, opportunistic iPhone owners with the app still installed are capitalising on the demand, listing their phones for as much as £20,297.88 ($25,000).

iPhones With TikTok: A Rare Commodity

An eBay seller in Ruskin, Florida, is asking £8119.15 ($10,000) (or the best offer) for an iPhone 15 Pro Max that still has TikTok installed. The listing has already generated over 1,800 views in just 24 hours, highlighting the unexpected demand for these devices.

Other eBay users have listed iPhones with TikTok installed, with prices ranging wildly from $500 to an astonishing $25,000, depending on the model and condition. One of the most expensive listings, from a seller in Whittier, North Carolina, is for an iPhone 16 Pro Max with 'TikTok INSTALLED' and a steep price tag of $25,000.

While there's been a lot of talk about iPhones with TikTok commanding high prices, the reality might be different. Most of the over 2,000 iPhones listed on eBay with TikTok aren't attracting bids. The few that have received offers are typically older models selling for much lower prices, usually between £81.19 ($100) and £162.38 ($200).

An eBay seller in Raleigh, North Carolina, took things to a whole new level, listing a 128GB iPhone 15 Pro for a staggering price of over £3.65 ($4.5) million. This particular phone boasts both TikTok and CapCut, a pre-installed video editing app developed by ByteDance.

TikTok's Return To App Stores: A Waiting Game

The timeline for TikTok's return to app stores remains uncertain. While recent developments suggest a possible joint venture involving US ownership, the exact path forward and the timing of TikTok's reintroduction remain unclear.

'They'll have something that's actually more valuable because they have the ultimate partner, and the United States will make it very worthwhile for them in terms of the permits and everything else,' Trump said after meeting with TikTok's owners.

The US government has expressed openness to the idea of Elon Musk or Larry Ellison acquiring TikTok. If either billionaire were to purchase the app, it could expedite its return to app stores and resolve the ongoing dispute.

A deal must be reached to bring TikTok back to the app stores. On Wednesday, during an Axios event in Davos, Switzerland, General Atlantic CEO Bill Ford expressed confidence that such an agreement would be finalised.

General Atlantic is a significant investor in ByteDance, and Ford also serves on the board of directors of TikTok's Chinese parent company. 'We'll get on with it, as soon as maybe the end of the week in terms of negotiating what might work ... The Chinese government, the US government and the company and the board all have to be involved in this conversation,' Ford said, per Axios.