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Flappy Bird-Equipped iPhones Selling for $100K on eBay

There's still a way to play the hit mobile game, but it won't come cheap.

By Angela Moscaritolo
February 10, 2014
Flappy Bird

If you missed your chance to download the mobile sensation Flappy Bird, you might be kicking yourself now the game has been removed from the App Store and Google Play.

But don't fret. There's still a way to get in on the fun — but you better have some deep pockets.

Just head over to eBay and you'll find a slew of iOS and Android devices for sale with Flappy Bird installed. They're not cheap, though.

One such eBay user on Sunday listed a 16GB space gray AT&T iPhone 5s with Flappy Bird installed for a starting price of $650. Less than a day and 74 bids later, the phone is now going for $99,900. Yes, you read that correctly, almost $100,000 for a used iPhone 5s with Flappy Bird installed!

It is, of course, entirely possible that some or even all of the bids were placed fraudulently to inflate the price of the handset. But at this point, 22 different users have placed a bid, and the auction doesn't close for another six days.

Meanwhile, another seller is offering a 16GB white iPhone 5 from Sprint with Flappy Bird installed. Listed on Sunday, that handset has already received 65 bids from 19 different users, bringing it up to $90,200. That auction is slated to close at 8:43 p.m. ET Monday.

Other sellers are currently offering Flappy Bird-equipped phones and tablets on eBay for anywhere between $300 to a few thousand dollars.

The influx of eBay listings comes after game's developer, Dong Nguyen, mysteriously pulled Flappy Bird from the App Store and Google play this weekend. The developer warned users of his plans on Saturday and the following day, the game was gone. Those who already have it installed, however, can still play at the moment.

Nguyen has been mum on his decision to pull Flappy Bird, only revealing that it was not a legal issue and he did not sell the game. "I just cannot keep it anymore," he tweeted.

Flappy Bird was released last year, but it really picked up steam last month, and was the No. 1 free app on the Apple and Google app stores before it went away.

If you are among those who still have the game installed, check out 7 Tips for High Scores on Flappy Bird.

This is not the first time eBay sellers have cleaned up on mobile products. In September, someone paid $10,000 for a gold iPhone 5s, which at the time was sold out.

For more, check out PCMag Live in the video below, which discusses the Flappy Bird controversy.

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About Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

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