Prices for smartphones preloaded with TikTok have skyrocketed, pushing some listings online to staggering amounts as users scramble to secure access to the app temporarily unavailable for new downloads. The surge is driven by uncertainty surrounding the app's future following legal rulings aimed at banishing the Chinese-owned platform from American app stores.
On January 19, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, voluntarily disabled the app just hours before the impending enforcement of U.S. laws demanding its divestiture from Chinese control, citing national security concerns. Although the app has remained functional for existing users who had downloaded it prior, TikTok is completely unavailable for new downloads from U.S.-based app stores, prompting myriad listings on platforms like eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
The economic impact has been dramatic, with reports indicating listings for TikTok-loaded smartphones range from $340 to mind-boggling amounts like $50,000 for devices such as brand-new Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max models. A notable listing on eBay attracted nearly 80 watchers, underscoring the demand for devices with the app still installed. Sellers are pulling out all the stops, with many advertising phones with active TikTok accounts along with devices containing just the app installed.
Wired highlighted the $2,000 to $5,000 range of many listings, though experts remain skeptical about actual transactions occurring at these prices. One cited seller, described as an IT engineer, received offers upwards of $1,200 on Facebook Marketplace for his iPhone 15 Pro, boasting the app installed, nearly double the price of comparable refurbished devices without TikTok.
Market dynamics shifted overnight, as many users flaunted their phones as if they were gold. The brief shutdown served as both catalyst and warning, making those who deleted the app reconsider their choice. Piotr Gustab, 37, from Queens, reached out to the marketplace with his iPhone 15 Pro listed for $3,000, three times the cost of the latest model available from Apple. Unsurprisingly, he rejected lower offers but still relishes the unexpected windfall of interest.
This situation reflects the larger cultural obsession with TikTok, and the willingness of users to pay premium prices for devices adorned with the app. With over 36,000 listings for smartphones with TikTok available on eBay alone, the app’s temporary ban has dramatically turned them from typical consumer electronics to coveted collector’s items.
Yet, many eBay sellers face uncertainty, as prices fluctuate and interest wanes. Nothing solidifies the desperation like TikTok's potential ban looming over the digital marketplace. The app's future remains precarious, prompting legislation like the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which could effectively stall or eliminate TikTok from the U.S. market entirely.
Hours after its shutdown, President Trump issued an executive order extending the delay on enforcement of the ban, buying time for discussions about TikTok's fate. Nevertheless, the uncertainty continues to feed the frenzy; demand outweighs supply as users seek the app they have grown accustomed to, now masked by the threat of prohibition.
While some sellers may be misguided, believing their devices to be worth astronomical figures due to the installed app, others sensibly tailor their prices closer to what consumers are actually willing to pay. It remains unclear how many buyers will commit to spending thousands on devices like iPhones adorned with TikTok, but the fact remains: the rising costs reflect more than mere capitalism; they represent cultural fixation as barriers blur between technology and necessity.
The digital community now watches as the speculation surrounding TikTok unfurls. Will the app find solace within the U.S. market once again? Or will it become just another memory of what was? For now, sellers are anxiously holding onto their TikTok smartphones, waiting to see just how far buyers’ desire extends.