A prototype of 15″ MacBook Pro with an integrated 3G cellular modem shows up on eBay for sale. The prototype contains 3G antenna and SIM card slot with a Core 2 Duo chip. This prototype has been worked on by Apple since 2007 so it seems that Apple has indeed actively worked on building 3G support into its Macs, at least the MacBook Pro.

According to the seller, the machine was purchased “for parts” from Craigslist:

Upon removing the top case it was immediately clear this was no normal Macbook Pro: the circuit boards inside were bright red as opposed to the normal blue! Further inspection found multiple differences from the stock version, most notably a feature never seen in a Macbook laptop of any kind: what appears to be a fully integrated cellular modem and SIM slot. There is an extendable cellular antenna located at the right top side of the display assembly (The antenna is marked with “Tyco Proto / #006″ when slid out), and a standard size SIM card slot located underneath the memory cover on the bottom of the machine. The SIM card board is connected to the logic board via a connector not found on production machines. The solder footprint for it is still present on the production boards and not populated, which is interesting. This would seem to suggest that it was a last minute decision to remove the cellular functionality before going into mass production. The optical drive is marked as a “Sample for Evaluation”. Rather than a normal EMC Number the specifications lapel simply says “XXXX”, and the serial number does not show up in Apple’s online database.

As MacRumors points out, the seller was able to repair the machine to get it into working condition. The machine carries a red motherboard which is typical of Apple prototypes. The seller also notes that the remnants of the SIM-card connectivity remain on the production motherboards but are not populated. It’s not clear at what stage Apple decided not to pursue production of this model.
Not only that, as you see in the picture below, the 3G hardware is detected perfectly under System Preferences in the Mac OS. Anyway, that’s great Apple!

It looks like Apple will release a 3G capable MacBook Pro very soon.
You can check the full gallery and read the seller’s story over the action page on eBay. Don’t forget to put your Bid there.

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