When smartphones become obsolete, most end up dismantled for parts, stripped for rare metals, or dumped in landfills. Sonny Dickson, a well-known tech analyst and longtime smartphone leaker, has a different idea. Instead of recycling them as e-waste, he’s framing them. His new venture, Collectible Phones, turns old iPhones into curated, wall-mounted art, starting with Apple’s first-generation model from 2007.
This isn’t about nostalgia for the sake of it. It’s about treating technology like the cultural object it became. The original iPhone wasn’t just a product; it was a turning point. The device that redefined personal tech now gets a second life, disassembled, labeled, framed, and reframed as art for your home or office.
The First iPhone, Reimagined
The first edition in the series is called Collectible 2G. Each piece contains carefully sourced and preserved components from an original iPhone. The screen, logic board, battery, and other parts are labeled and displayed in a 30cm by 42.3cm frame. Buyers can choose a black or silver finish, and the price is $349, including global shipping.
The idea began as a personal project. Speaking to Forbes, Dickson said he wanted to “create a way for people to display these products in their homes and offices in an artistic manner.” He worked with a design team and tapped into his network in the used smartphone market to get it off the ground.
Every component used in the Collectible 2G display is original. Dickson even sourced an authentic screenshot of the first version of iOS to show the home screen as it looked when Apple released the iPhone in 2007.
According to the website CollectiblePhones.com, each device is disassembled by hand. Only the best-quality parts are used. They are glued onto a custom backboard and framed. The goal, the site explains, is “to reduce electronic waste by turning old mobile devices into beautiful and long-lasting art pieces.”
Art, Not Waste
Recycling doesn’t preserve the story of these devices. It just breaks them down. The 2007 iPhone wasn’t even recognized for its design at launch. The Design Museum gave its Design of the Year award to the XO-1 laptop from the One Laptop Per Child project instead. A year later, the museum’s director admitted this was a “howling error.”
In hindsight, the first iPhone has secured its place in tech history. Dickson says this piece “highlights the ingenuity of Steve Jobs with Apple on the First Generation iPhone.” The visual breakdown of components turns what was once just a gadget into something worth displaying.
More devices are coming. Dickson says his team is already working on new additions. “We will continue to expand our offerings and explore additional devices that would further contribute to the rich tapestry of history,” he told Forbes.
For collectors interested in functional devices, the company also offers original iPhones in 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB for $149. These are genuine, working units, carefully picked for quality. They’re unmodified and meant for those who want to hold a piece of tech history.
Whether mounted behind glass or powered on in your hand, these phones mark the beginning of something permanent. The smartphone is no longer just a tool. In the right frame, it’s history.