If you have $1400 sitting around and are sick of your Tour 9630 (or any other BlackBerry, for that matter), the Essex is now appearing on eBay.  Offering 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, and RIM’s new trackpad, the seller states that the device will be available for retail purchase between March and July of 2010.  What’s more, they continue on in broken English:

“For this moment in time.  You can avoid the crowd control at the shopping malls/plaza, and avoid the inevitable long lines when this bomb shell iPhone killer hit the shelves few months later.”

Seriously?  Despite the interesting (for lack of a better word) auction, I find the whole process funny.  You see, after being in this industry for several years, it’s easy to notice that all phone launches follow a similar trend.  They’re leaked, pictures surface, a few units show up on eBay, the device is officially announced, and the phone becomes available to the public.  We’re at stage three, so it’s a good sign for those eager to purchase one.

As always, if you’re interested in one of these units, be my guest – but purchasing is done at your own risk (and those familiar with RIM’s practices know that the PIN will most likely be blocked shortly after testing ends).  What say you – eBay auction, or is it worth waiting for a retail unit?

Via: PhoneArena