On August 18, HP announced that it would end its lines of mobile devices running the company's webOS software. Among those devices that would land in the HP gadget graveyard were the newly launched TouchPad tablet and the Pre 3 smartphone, which was already on sale in Europe and had yet to launch Stateside.
Though the Pre 3 will never see the light of day in the U.S., there's a silver lining for European customers. Unlocked Pre 3 devices will be marked down to the equivalent of $75 dollars, according to an HP rep who spoke with PCMag on Monday.
"As of this writing, the Pre 3 costs 349 euros ($505) in France and 299 pounds ($490) in the U.K., making the $75 sale a dramatic drop," writes PCMag. The company rep also said that the device had flown off shelves in Germany and was no longer available there.
When will this sale take effect? "Shortly" was all the rep would tell PCMag.
The Pre 3 was announced alongside the TouchPad in February 2011. The phone features a 3.6-inch touchscreen and a roomier sliding keyboard than its predecessor, the Pre 2. A touch-to-share feature, which allows the Pre 3 and the TouchPad to wirelessly share web addresses, would have made these devices ideal office companions.
After an early hands-on session with the Pre 3, Engadget had this to say: "The screen is a relatively spacious 3.6-inches, and webOS looks absolutely stunning on it. [...] [I]n terms of hardware quality, HP has taken a big step up here."
According to the Los Angeles Times, HP made its announcement to cancel future webOS devices only a day after the Pre 3 went on sale in Europe.
HP also slapped a jaw-dropping clearance markdown on the TouchPad late last week. The sale initially hit Canada, where 16GB units are now $99, and 32GB units are now $149--if you can find them. The deeply discounted devices were so popular that the sale was expanded to the United States. HP's website was slammed with orders over the weekend, and the company is promising that it will make more devices available soon.
To see what other devices HP killed last week, check out our slideshow of HP's webOS gadget graveyard. Then, read on to find out why HP decided to stop making mobile gadgets.