Nexus 5 Release Imminent: Pre-Order Price Spotted on eBay

Nexus 5, the highly anticipated Google smartphone has hogged the spotlight in the last few days, with the much awaited Google Play event getting closer. It is rumoured that the yet to be announced Nexus 5 may be unveiled on 24 October, at the event.

Despite the uncertainties over its release date, the next-gen Nexus phone has already made its way to eBay. A number of eBay retail sellers have advertised the device for pre-orders at prices as high as a staggering $700, a price that rivals high-end smartphones from Apple and Samsung.

An earlier leaked photo suggested the Nexus 5 being sold on Google Play Store at a confirmed price of $349 for the 16GB model, while the 32GB model was rumoured to cost $399.

Given the staggering price difference between Google Play Store and third-party resellers on eBay, several industry experts have advised prospective consumers to be aware of fraudulent offers on eBay. It is ascertained that the resellers could be trying to extort money from the unsuspecting consumers with the promise of offering the device on the day one of release.

The eBay advert for Nexus 5 pre-orders further states that the resellers reserve the right to cancel the transaction (click to see the description on website) in the event the handset runs out of stock. If the eBay price for Nexus 5 considerably shoots up after its release, the resellers may further hike their price list for the device.

Any unsuspecting Nexus fan could be easily deceived into believing that the Nexus 5 is officially up for pre-orders on eBay. Not to mention the plight of consumers, when the Nexus 4 prices reportedly skyrocketed up to $1,000 following its release last year as the device quickly sold out and several customers faced technical issues with the Google Play Store.

Consequently, several other Nexus 5 listings have surfaced on eBay for both 16GB and 32GB models. Here are some of the listings:

• 16GB Nexus 5 for $599

• 16GB Nexus 5 for $645

• 16GB Nexus 5 for $645

• 16GB Nexus 5 for $700

In addition, a few cheaper Nexus 5 offerings for both 16GB and 32GB have also been discovered. One such listing offers the 16GB Nexus 5 for $300, while another lists the offering at $645. One of the listings for 32GB Nexus 5 has apparently ended, while another listing offers this handset at just $202.5.

With the staggering price-listings for Nexus 5 pre-orders not convincing, some resellers have placed multiple 32GB Nexus 5 pre-orders for bidding as low as $5.52 on one listing. This listing garnered 9 bids (as revealed in the screenshot below) at the time of writing as reported by GottaBeMobile.

Multiple 16GB Nexus 5 pre-orders are also up for bids at a starting price of $405 for one listing, $420 for another and $398 for the third (check the screenshot below).

As GottaBeMobile notes, many of these listings offer an estimated shipping date of 25 October to 26 October, with one day shipping options available. This might actually give a hint about when the Nexus 5 could be unveiled.

Google fans and industry experts alike look forward to the highly anticipated Google press event, which is scheduled for 24 October in New York City, at 7pm local time. The company has not yet revealed the details of this event and the invite simply says: "Join us for a night out with Google Play - Music, movies, games and a special performance by Capital Cities."