Rumor has it that Google will unveil its next set of Pixel smartphones, along with other hardware (maybe a new Pixelbook or Google Home device?) on October 4th. But the company seems to be having a hard time keeping at least one device under wraps.
We’ve already seen some renders and real-world pictures of what’s alleged to be the upcoming Google Pixel 3 XL. Now Russian website Rozetked is giving us the best look at the phone to date.
The website has published hands-on pictures of the phone, sample photos shot with the phone’s camera, and a short video showing that it supports wireless charging.
According to Rozetked, the Pixel 3 XL features a 2960 x 1440 pixel display with a notch in the top, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, a USB Type-C port, and support for wireless charging.
There appears to be only a single rear camera, but dual cameras (or a camera plus some other sensor) on the front. And there’s no headphone jack, so it looks like that’s gone for good in Google’s phones. The Pixel 3 XL does seem to come with a USB Type-C to 3.5mm audio adapter in the box though.
While photos shot from the rear camera look pretty great in most cases, the blogger notes that the front camera seems less than stellar for now… although it’s possible that software updates could improve the performance.
It’s possible this is all part of some sort of elaborate hoax, but this isn’t the first time Rozetked has scored a major scoop. In 2014, the website posted a video of the iPhone 6 a week before it was officially revealed by Apple.
You can find more details and additional photo samples at Rozetked.
— Максим Хорошев (@khoroshev) August 22, 2018
Update: More pictures from Russia (with love?) courtesy of @wylsacom:
Нашел тут Pixel 3 XL. Такое себе, на первый взгляд стыдный. Вот сфоткал и оставил в такси. pic.twitter.com/fXU3W9EUgW
— Wylsacom (@wylsacom) August 22, 2018
Update 2: If you’re wondering why a bunch of people seem to have gotten their hands on Pixel 3 XL smartphones ahead of launch, 9to5Google might have the answer: it looks like someone in Ukraine has gotten their hands on a bunch of “possibly stolen Pixel 3 XL units” and it selling them for $2,000 each.
It’s not clear how this person obtained the phones, or if you’ll actually get one if you send $2,000 as requested (it’s possible the leaks are little more than an advertising scheme). It’s also unclear why you’d want to spend $2,000 on a phone that will probably be available for less than half that price in a few months… unless you’re a blogger or YouTuber looking to make a splash with a first look at a device of unknown providence. But now that they beans have been spilled, it’s not like you’d have the first blog post or YouTube video anyway, so I suspect there are diminishing returns to getting your hands on one of these devices.
Also, whether the phones were stolen or obtained in some other way, this all seems pretty shady from a legal standpoint.
Update 3: Oh look, someone went and published a full review, complete with performance notes, a bunch of pictures (both of the phone and taken with the phone), and details about pricing: the Pixel 3 XL is expected to have a starting price of $749, while the Pixel 3 will cost $649 and up. Google may also bundle a set of Pixel Buds wireless earbuds with the phones.
Cool to see that it has a USB C to USB C charging cable
Now that there are Android One phones I do not even bother looking at Pixel phones. Why settle for phones with a bunch of features missing when you can have a phone with all the features you want and still get timely updates? Maybe not as quickly as the Pixel, but within a couple of weeks of release date.
It’s the camera that sold me on the Pixel 2. There’s nothing in the sub-$500 price range that even comes closer.