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Recently, the U.S. saw a technological ban on TikTok, which brought to eBay an unusual craze in which sellers offered iPhones with pre-installed TikTok for jaw-dropping prices.
For example, some of the devices there sell for as much as $25,000. Evidently, it denotes how desperate users are because they can no longer download the app anymore since it has been removed from most application stores.
Millions of TikTok fans are now left scrambling because of the ban implemented over national security concerns. Those who already had the app can continue using it, but anyone who deleted it or missed downloading it before the ban is out of luck—at least for now.
For iPhone users, the problem is particularly tricky since Apple doesn't allow sideloading apps like Android does.
As a result, eBay has become a hotspot for resellers looking to cash in on this situation. Listings for iPhones with TikTok installed range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. One iPhone 16 Pro Max is currently listed for $25,000, while another iPhone 15 Pro Max is priced at $10,000.
Some sellers are even bundling the phones with other ByteDance apps like Lemon8 and CapCut, which also disappeared from app stores.
Despite the price tags, most of these listings remain unsold. A buyer is hesitant to shell out such large sums as TikTok's fate remains unknown at handover in the U.S. An executive order issued by former President Trump will temporarily place the app back into stores but hasn't returned there yet.
This demand may evaporate in the blink of an eye if TikTok returns. But for now, sellers are relying on the basic law of supply and demand to make desperate buyers have a field day. Social media is filled to the brim with users bemoaning their inability to access TikTok and offering thousands for phones that pre-install the app with them.
As the wait continues, it remains to be seen whether TikTok will make a comeback or if these high-priced listings will become a quirky footnote in the app's tumultuous history in the U.S.
