https://twitter.com/embed/status/1032276175421353985
New flagship smartphones are some of the most closely guarded secrets in tech, and while leaks often occur a month or two before an official release, there’s typically enough mystery to keep things interesting until then.
But in a nearly unbelievable turn of affairs, Russian blog Rozetked appears to have gotten its hands on a finished Google Pixel 3 XL and posted a number of pics for the world to see.
But wait, you say. Google hasn’t even announced an official date for a Pixel launch event, so how could this Russian blog get its hands on a finished Pixel 3 XL? Well, according to a few folks on Twitter, an unknown source may have stolen a shipment of Pixel phones in transit before passing a device along to the Russian blog.
This sequence of events was not explicitly confirmed by Rozetked, but when translating the blog’s post from Russian into English, one section states: “Google made a big mistake, and two months before the release of the smartphone has lost track of a batch of finished gadgets.”
Wow. And it seems Rozetked may not have been the only site to get its hands on a Pixel 3 XL, as another Russian vlogger who goes by Wylsacom posted more photos of a similar-looking device on Twitter.
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
If the device pictured above is legitimate, and if the rest the info posted by Rozetked is too, what does this tell us about the upcoming Pixel 3 XL?
The first big takeaway is that giant notch at the top of the screen, which, combined with the phone’s large bottom bezel, makes for a pretty awkward-looking device. Judging by the two grilles on the top and bottom of the phone, it’s probably safe to say that like on the Pixel 2, the Pixel 3 will retain its dual front-facing stereo speakers as well.
Unfortunately, it seems one thing Google hasn’t carried forward onto next-generation Pixels is their unique, two-toned color scheme. On the back of the pictured device, it looks pure white all the way down. Previously, even on single-color Pixel 2’s, Google included a little glass section that contrasted with the matte metal back on the lower portion of the device.
Another major thing to note is the purported Pixel 3 XL’s camera, which Rozetked claims is once again going to out-perform the imaging capabilities of other high-end smartphones. The Russian site posted a separate story and a few Instagram shots showing photos taken with the supposed Pixel 3 XL, and they do look quite impressive. That said, it’s difficult to judge image quality without having another picture from a different device to use as a comparison.
Specs-wise, the Pixel 3 XL reportedly features a 2960 x 1440 display and a Snapdragon 845 processor while running Android 9 Pie, which are all things we’ve been expecting to see on a new flagship Pixel. Sadly, Rozetked didn’t mention the actual size of the device’s screen.
In the box, it looks like the Pixel 3 XL will come with a double-sided USB-C cable and USB-C power brick, a bundled USB-C-to-headphone-jack dongle, and an OTG adapter for transferring data from one phone to another. Lastly, according to the leaked photos, it appears the Pixel 3 will include a wired version of the Pixel Buds Google released last year, though without seeing them in action, it’s hard to say if these wired versions would include the on-the-fly translation or Google Assistant features that made the Pixel Buds so interesting.
We have reached out to Google for an official statement about this supposed Pixel 3 XL leak. However, as the company’s official policy is to not comment on rumors or speculation, the statement we get back may not clarify anything.
