From iPhone 3GS to Galaxy S26
What if you’d bought stock instead?
Instead of buying the phone on launch day, what if that money had gone into stocks or bitcoin? Pick every phone you’ve owned and we add them all up.
iPhone
Galaxy
Between phone money and time
One iPhone 3GS,
in Apple stock: $47,296.
That $599 phone from 2009 is probably in a drawer by now, but the same money in Apple stock has grown 79×. Here is what each model’s launch price would be worth at the Sep 29, 2026 close.
Model by model
| Model | Released | Launch price | Apple/Samsung | Bitcoin | Nvidia | Tesla | Nasdaq-100 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 3GS | Jun 19, 2009 | $599 | $47,29679× | $716M*1,194,606× | $532,349889× | $132,702*222× | $14,15123.6× | $6,74911.3× |
| iPhone 4 | Jun 24, 2010 | $599 | $24,52440.9× | $716M*1,194,606× | $535,704894× | $132,702*222× | $11,22018.7× | $5,6749.47× |
| iPhone 4S | Oct 14, 2011 | $649 | $16,93726.1× | $12.4M19,136× | $410,207632× | $122,456189× | $9,36514.4× | $5,2548.1× |
| iPhone 5 | Sep 21, 2012 | $649 | $10,16615.7× | $4.3M6,605× | $471,723727× | $114,420176× | $7,68511.8× | $4,3226.66× |
| iPhone 5s | Sep 20, 2013 | $649 | $14,87222.9× | $437,034673× | $399,245615× | $18,73028.9× | $6,73010.4× | $3,6145.57× |
| iPhone 6 | Sep 19, 2014 | $649 | $9,61914.8× | $137,466212× | $324,212500× | $13,24620.4× | $5,2398.07× | $3,0164.65× |
| iPhone 6s | Sep 25, 2015 | $649 | $8,32412.8× | $230,799356× | $257,620397× | $13,37020.6× | $5,0357.76× | $3,0764.74× |
| iPhone 7 | Sep 16, 2016 | $649 | $8,13512.5× | $89,412138× | $95,651147× | $16,72325.8× | $4,3696.73× | $2,7224.19× |
| iPhone X | Nov 3, 2017 | $999 | $8,1978.21× | $11,59011.6× | $44,12744.2× | $17,27417.3× | $5,0965.1× | $3,3903.39× |
| iPhone XS | Sep 21, 2018 | $999 | $6,4006.41× | $12,40412.4× | $34,86834.9× | $17,67717.7× | $4,2274.23× | $2,9472.95× |
| iPhone 11 | Sep 20, 2019 | $699 | $4,4086.31× | $5,7418.21× | $37,06553× | $15,37522× | $2,8234.04× | $1,9792.83× |
| iPhone 12 | Oct 23, 2020 | $799 | $2,3612.95× | $5,1676.47× | $13,43116.8× | $2,0112.52× | $2,1452.68× | $1,9152.4× |
| iPhone 13 | Sep 24, 2021 | $799 | $1,8372.3× | $1,5601.95× | $8,25810.3× | $1,0921.37× | $1,6272.04× | $1,4711.84× |
| iPhone 14 | Sep 16, 2022 | $799 | $1,7812.23× | $3,3794.23× | $13,80517.3× | $9291.16× | $2,0902.62× | $1,6682.09× |
| iPhone 15 | Sep 22, 2023 | $799 | $1,5261.91× | $2,5143.15× | $4,3765.48× | $1,1511.44× | $1,6752.1× | $1,4711.84× |
| iPhone 16 | Sep 20, 2024 | $799 | $1,1631.46× | $1,0571.32× | $1,5691.96× | $1,1831.48× | $1,2361.55× | $1,0991.38× |
| iPhone 17 | Sep 19, 2025 | $799 | $1,0761.35× | $5780.72× | $1,0301.29× | $6620.83× | $9901.24× | $9301.16× |
| Galaxy S2 | Apr 28, 2011 | $549.99 | $8,85916.1× | $21.7M39,445× | $280,097509× | $105,238191× | $7,84114.3× | $4,0507.36× |
| Galaxy S3 | May 29, 2012 | $599.99 | $7,73112.9× | $9.7M16,206× | $468,671781× | $100,205167× | $7,96913.3× | $4,4067.34× |
| Galaxy S4 | Apr 26, 2013 | $639.99 | $6,41110× | $376,910589× | $468,281732× | $66,157103× | $7,58111.8× | $3,8846.07× |
| Galaxy S5 | Apr 11, 2014 | $649.99 | $6,55810.1× | $147,300227× | $345,004531× | $16,88226× | $6,2699.65× | $3,3715.19× |
| Galaxy S6 | Apr 10, 2015 | $684.99 | $6,5729.59× | $242,640354× | $284,559415× | $17,19025.1× | $5,1007.45× | $3,0114.4× |
| Galaxy S7 | Mar 11, 2016 | $669.99 | $8,30112.4× | $132,861198× | $193,441289× | $17,08925.5× | $5,0097.48× | $3,0034.48× |
| Galaxy S8 | Apr 21, 2017 | $720 | $5,0647.03× | $49,26868.4× | $65,40090.8× | $12,46917.3× | $4,2675.93× | $2,7193.78× |
| Galaxy S9 | Mar 16, 2018 | $719.99 | $3,7385.19× | $7,22110× | $26,46236.8× | $11,85816.5× | $3,2854.56× | $2,2823.17× |
| Galaxy S10 | Mar 8, 2019 | $899.99 | $5,6056.23× | $19,29221.4× | $54,82560.9× | $16,76418.6× | $4,0684.52× | $2,8083.12× |
| Galaxy S20 | Mar 6, 2020 | $999.99 | $4,9144.91× | $9,1669.17× | $34,37434.4× | $7,5237.52× | $3,6893.69× | $2,8252.83× |
| Galaxy S21 | Jan 29, 2021 | $799.99 | $2,4253.03× | $1,9492.44× | $14,06517.6× | $1,0671.33× | $1,9402.43× | $1,7842.23× |
| Galaxy S22 | Feb 25, 2022 | $799.99 | $2,9453.68× | $1,7062.13× | $7,5579.45× | $1,0461.31× | $1,7572.2× | $1,4881.86× |
| Galaxy S23 | Feb 17, 2023 | $799.99 | $3,5294.41× | $2,7233.4× | $8,52710.7× | $1,3551.69× | $2,0022.5× | $1,5741.97× |
| Galaxy S24 | Jan 31, 2024 | $799.99 | $3,0633.83× | $1,5711.96× | $2,9633.7× | $1,5071.88× | $1,4361.8× | $1,3071.63× |
| Galaxy S25 | Feb 7, 2025 | $799.99 | $4,4135.52× | $6930.87× | $1,4041.75× | $7810.98× | $1,1391.42× | $1,0381.3× |
| Galaxy S26 | Mar 11, 2026 | $899.99 | $1,4031.56× | $1,0721.19× | $1,1021.22× | $7790.87× | $1,0971.22× | $1,0251.14× |
* Not trading at launch, so bought on the first trading day (Tesla 2010-06-29, bitcoin 2010-08-18).
How we calculate it
Investment ($) = US launch price
US asset value = investment ÷ price on purchase day × price today
Samsung value = investment × FX on purchase day ÷ share price then × share price today ÷ FX today
Prices are closes on Sep 29, 2026. Only Samsung Electronics, which trades in won, is converted with the USD/KRW rate (Yahoo Finance). Stocks and ETFs use split- and dividend-adjusted closes (Yahoo Finance); bitcoin uses blockchain.com prices before September 2014 and Yahoo Finance after. The chart is weekly; if launch day was a market holiday we use the previous trading day. Taxes and fees are not included.
The S&P 500 is SPY and the Nasdaq-100 is QQQ. Launch prices are for the base storage; early models use carrier no-contract prices. Each model’s basis is listed under sources below.
Data as of Sep 29, 2026. Past returns do not guarantee future results. Not investment advice.
Frequently asked questions
What would iPhone 3GS money be worth in Apple stock today?
Buying Apple stock with the $599 launch price on 19 June 2009 would be worth about $47,296 (79×) at the Sep 29, 2026 close. In Nvidia it would be about $532,349; in the S&P 500 (SPY), about $6,749.
What if I had bought Samsung stock instead of a Galaxy S2?
Buying Samsung Electronics with the $549.99 US no-contract price at the 28 April 2011 launch would be worth about $8,859 (16.1×). We convert to won at the launch-day rate, back to dollars at today’s rate, and use prices adjusted for the 2018 50:1 split and dividends.
What if I had bought bitcoin instead of an iPhone X?
Buying bitcoin with $999 on 3 November 2017 would be worth about $11,590 (11.6×). In Nvidia on the same day it would be about $44,127.
Which prices and dates do you use?
The US launch price (no contract) of the base model and storage, and the first worldwide sale date. Early models, when contract discounts were common, use carrier no-contract prices; from iPhone 12 we use Apple’s announced carrier-activation price ($799). Everything is calculated and shown in US dollars.
How do you handle bitcoin and Tesla before they existed?
Tesla listed on 29 June 2010 and bitcoin has dollar prices from 18 August 2010. For the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, which came earlier, we hold the money as dollars and buy on the first trading day, marked with an asterisk.
How does it work with several phones?
Each phone buys more of the same asset on its own launch day, for its own price. The dashed line is the total spent on phones so far (the principal). The maker’s stock is Apple for iPhones and Samsung Electronics for Galaxys.
Are dividends, taxes and fees included?
Stocks and ETFs use split- and dividend-adjusted closes. Taxes, trading fees and currency fees are not deducted. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and this is not investment advice.
Price basis and sources by model
- iPhone 3GS $599 · 16GB · AT&T no-contract price ($199 on a 2-year contract) · Source
- iPhone 4 $599 · 16GB · AT&T no-contract price ($199 on a 2-year contract) · Source
- iPhone 4S $649 · 16GB · No-contract price ($199 on a 2-year contract) · Source
- iPhone 5 $649 · 16GB · No-contract price ($199 on a 2-year contract) · Source
- iPhone 5s $649 · 16GB · No-contract price ($199 on a 2-year contract) · Source
- iPhone 6 $649 · 16GB · No-contract price ($199 on a 2-year contract) · Source
- iPhone 6s $649 · 16GB · No-contract list price · Source
- iPhone 7 $649 · 32GB · No-contract list price · Source
- iPhone X $999 · 64GB · No-contract list price · Source
- iPhone XS $999 · 64GB · No-contract list price · Source
- iPhone 11 $699 · 64GB · No-contract list price · Source
- iPhone 12 $799 · 64GB · Carrier-activation price (unlocked $829) · Source
- iPhone 13 $799 · 128GB · Carrier-activation price (unlocked $829) · Source
- iPhone 14 $799 · 128GB · Carrier-activation price (unlocked $829) · Source
- iPhone 15 $799 · 128GB · Carrier-activation price (unlocked $829) · Source
- iPhone 16 $799 · 128GB · Carrier-activation price (unlocked $829) · Source
- iPhone 17 $799 · 256GB · Carrier-activation price (unlocked $829) · Source
- Galaxy S2 $549.99 · 16GB · US AT&T no-contract price (US launch 2011-10-02) · Source
- Galaxy S3 $599.99 · 16GB · US Verizon no-contract price · Source
- Galaxy S4 $639.99 · 16GB · US AT&T no-contract price · Source
- Galaxy S5 $649.99 · 16GB · Median US carrier no-contract price ($599–$660) · Source
- Galaxy S6 $684.99 · 32GB · US AT&T no-contract price ($599–$685) · Source
- Galaxy S7 $669.99 · 32GB · US T-Mobile no-contract price ($649–$695) · Source
- Galaxy S8 $720 · 64GB · US Verizon no-contract price (other carriers $750) · Source
- Galaxy S9 $719.99 · 64GB · Samsung US unlocked list price · Source
- Galaxy S10 $899.99 · 128GB · Samsung US unlocked list price · Source
- Galaxy S20 $999.99 · 128GB · Samsung US unlocked list price (S20 5G) · Source
- Galaxy S21 $799.99 · 128GB · Samsung US unlocked list price · Source
- Galaxy S22 $799.99 · 128GB · Samsung US unlocked list price · Source
- Galaxy S23 $799.99 · 128GB · Samsung US unlocked list price · Source
- Galaxy S24 $799.99 · 128GB · Samsung US unlocked list price · Source
- Galaxy S25 $799.99 · 128GB · Samsung US unlocked list price · Source
- Galaxy S26 $899.99 · 256GB · Samsung US unlocked list price (256 GB base) · Source