An iPhone 17 Pro Max has been placed in a time capsule that is scheduled to remain sealed until 2276. By then, the device will be 250 years old, and the odds of it still working are extremely slim.
The phone chosen for the capsule is the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. It was included as a symbol of present-day technology alongside historical objects representing all 50 U.S. states, territories, and the three branches of the U.S. government.
What was placed inside the capsule
The capsule is not limited to the Apple handset. It also contains items tied to American identity and history, including a stainless steel rosary from Puerto Rico and a pocket constitution signed by a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
| Item | Origin or Description | Note |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | Cosmic Orange | Selected as a representation of current technology |
| Stainless steel rosary | Puerto Rico | Included as one of the historical objects |
| Pocket constitution | Signed by a U.S. Supreme Court justice | Part of the historical and institutional collection |
Digital artifacts were also stored on the iPhone itself. If the device can still power on when the capsule is opened, those notes may be accessible, although that possibility is considered very remote.
Why the phone is unlikely to work again
Forbes reported that the lithium-ion battery inside the iPhone will almost certainly suffer total degradation long before 250 years pass. Even without use, this battery type naturally loses capacity over time.
Other barriers also make the phone’s future use unlikely. Apple’s security systems, the eventual end of software support for older models, and the uncertainty of compatible infrastructure in 2276 all reduce the chance that the device will still function.
In practical terms, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is unlikely to be usable, and it may even be impossible to unlock when the capsule is finally opened. Still, the device was included as a marker of current technology, according to KompasTekno citing Cnet.
A commemorative project for America’s 250th anniversary
The capsule is part of the America Innovates project, an event organized with Forbes and America250. The program was created to mark 250 years of American independence.
Experts have long warned that burying electronics is not a good way to preserve history. Groundwater, moisture, and material degradation often damage buried items before they can ever be recovered.
Even a 2019 article noted that around 99 percent of time capsules that are dug up are no longer historically interesting. For that reason, the iPhone 17 Pro Max in the capsule is better understood as a symbol of this era than as a device expected to survive until 2276.
This is not the first time an Apple product has ended up in a time capsule. In 2013, a capsule buried about 30 years earlier and linked to Steve Jobs was reopened, and its contents included an Apple mouse, six bottles of Ballantine beer, and a Rubik’s Cube.
