Never-shipped AT&T and Verizon HP Pre3, TouchPad 4G hit eBay
updated 11:10 pm EDT, Sat September 17, 2011
HP Pre3 and TouchPad 4G for US go up for auction
American webOS fans despondent at HP's decision to exitmobile hardware were given a chance to buy in on Saturday after eBay auctions surfaced for all three. Two auctions for the Pre3 on AT&T and Verizon have recently ended that showed both carriers were at one point committed to the flagship phone. Both have carrier-specific boxes and art, and the AT&T version had already been relabeled as the Pre3 4G to show its support for 14.4Mbps HSPA on the network.
A third and still ongoing auction has also manifested for the TouchPad 4G. AT&T's 14.4Mbps HSPA version of the tablet also had a custom box, although the less specialized look implied that it would have been sold outside of the carrier's stores and let users add the service themselves.
All of the devices are believed to be unlocked and would let users put them on any GSM or HSPA network. The Verizon Pre3 stands out as a rare dual-mode HP/Palm phone and would support CDMA as well, although that might stay locked to the one network.
It's not apparent how many of these phones are left or if the auctions will ultimately ship to end buyers. As none of the phones or the tablet were officially released, they sit in legal gray areas. Those trying to bid on the TouchPad 4G or subsequent phone auctions will want to make sure they can get a refund if the hardware can't be shipped or if it doesn't work. [via webOSroundup]
