Massive Google Pixel 4 XL design leak reveals all, huge top bezel included

Around one month after he first revealed the Pixel 4’s controversial back panel, today tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer is back with a 360-degree render video of Google’s next XL flagship which showcases what is almost certainly the device's final design.

A rather large forehead that houses lots of sensors

Corroborating most recent leaks, the smartphone boasts a large display which is paired with slim bezels and a rather large forehead above. In terms of the panel's actual size, Hemmerstoffer suggests Google has opted for a 6.25-inch display, which is roughly 0.15-inches smaller than the Pixel 3 XL's alternative. Despite this decrease, though, the next-gen flagship (160.4 x 75.2 x 8.2mm) will actually be slightly taller than its predecessor (158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm).

Contrary to certain rumors, the chin isn't non-existent and is in fact noticeably thicker than the side bezels. Judgement should be reserved until the Pixel 4 XL can be directly compared to rival devices such as the upcoming Galaxy Note 10, Huawei Mate 30 Pro, and iPhone 11. But from the look of things, Google has its reasons for this design choice.

Towards the left side of the upper bezel sit two front-facing cameras. The exact functionality of these sensors hasn’t yet been confirmed but Google’s Pixel 3 series suggests a primary camera paired with a super-wide-angle alternative will be present. Placed directly in the center of the bezel is the usual in-ear speaker while in between the latter and the selfie cameras sits a special gesture sensor that'll allow users to control the flagship through a variety of air gestures, thus mimicking the LG G8 ThinQ's Air Motion Gestures.

The remaining portion of the Pixel 4 XL's bezel is reportedly where things get interesting. Per reports, Google's next flagships will include a new 3D facial recognition system that’ll rival Face ID. Details remain scarce at the moment but the results will apparently be achieved with five separate sensors. Much like Apple’s Face ID sensors, though, these won’t be visible to the user, hence why they aren't showcased in today's renders.

Accompanying Google's totally revamped front panel is a completely redesigned rear too. As the company itself confirmed last month, the back of its upcoming flagship will be dominated by a large square-shaped camera module that's situated in the top-left corner. This replaces the Pixel 3's single rear camera setup and houses a total of five components.

According to reports, both the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL will benefit from an upgraded primary sensor and a new 16-megapixel telephoto camera which should also bring improvements to portrait imagery. The usual dual-tone LED flash is set to make the cut too alongside a small microphone and a third 'spectral sensor.' It's unclear at this stage what the latter will bring to the table but potential benefits could include the ability of capture more accurate depth data, better identify materials, and also register information that isn’t available to the naked eye such as x-rays, ultraviolet, and infrared. In turn, this could potentially improve both low-light photography and portrait images drastically.

Moving away from the cameras and over to the remaining areas of the Pixel 4's design, the most noticeable change appears to be the removal of Google's trademark two-tone finish. The latter has been present on all Pixel devices since the launch of the originals but is either loved or hated by consumers, hence why removing it could be a good move if the company wants to sell more devices.

One design element that does appear to have been retained is Google's accented power key which, in the case of the black model, looks set to be white. The button is positioned quite far up the right side of the aluminum frame and sits directly above a volume rocker. While on the topic of the aluminum frame, it's perhaps worth pointing out that the Pixel 4 XL doesn't include a 3.5mm headphone jack but does gain a bottom-firing speaker. The latter has been implemented because the chin's front-firing speaker has been removed.

The Pixel 4 XL just like its smaller sibling is expected to arrive powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855. In the past, Google's flagship devices have featured a pretty unimpressive 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage but this year the Silicon Valley-based company is finally expected to offer 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage as standard. Also, as you'd expect from any Google device, the Pixel 4 series will ship with the latest version of Android which, at the time of launch, should be version Android 10 Q. 

Regarding a release date, the expectation is that the upcoming flagships will be announced at Google's annual hardware even in early October. Pre-orders should commence immediately after the event and will most likely precede a launch the following week.