There's never a dull moment for hardcore Google fans eagerly awaiting the full announcements and commercial releases of the search giant's extensive new in-house hardware lineup, as the Pixel Tablet was literally just confirmed to support third-party styluses and now the Pixel 7 handset is in the spotlight for one of the weirdest possible reasons we can think of.
That means that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro designs hold pretty much no secrets several months ahead of their actual debut, which doesn't make it any less surprising to see the former "vanilla" model listed on eBay already.
Wait, what?!
It's true, a purported Pixel 7 prototype in a black color with 128 gigs of internal storage space and unlocked dual SIM support for "all carriers" was briefly offered for sale to anyone willing to experiment with Android 13 and "pixel apps in development stage."
While there's absolutely no way to know how such a device could end up in such a place so early in its development process, we also have no reason whatsoever to doubt the legitimacy of this wild (and predictably short-lived) eBay listing.
The seller published a number of pictures very clearly showing a functional handset that checks all of the official (and leaked) Pixel 7 boxes, from a flat screen reminiscent of last year's Pixel 6 to an equally familiar-looking chin, revised dual rear-facing camera module, and a logo strongly resembling what Google typically uses to "disguise" early prototypes of its phones.
Unfortunately for collectors of such items, the eBay auction that started at a paltry $450 was ended before anyone could make a single bid in an obvious and completely unsurprising sign that someone will get in trouble for this... unusual leak.
But wait, there's more
As rare as it might feel to spot an undoubtedly unfinished prototype of a high-profile Google-made product in a public place several months in advance of a commercial rollout, this... event is eerily similar to that incredibly revealing (and decidedly random) Pixel Watch leak from a little over a month ago.
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Of course, we highly doubt a US restaurant was the point of origin for this device too, especially with another unreleased device making a wild cameo appearance of its own in one of the Pixel 7 pics attached to the now-deleted eBay listing.
Yes, that's almost certainly a Pixel 7 Pro reflected in the Pixel 7's glass back cover, which means that whoever took these snapshots was at one point in possession of not one but two different Google phones set to see daylight later this year.
That has to be some kind of a record, and although there's obviously no way to know for sure, something tells us these prototypes will surface again on the world wide web, perhaps alongside some specs and features to confirm existing rumors and fill in some key blanks.
Tipped to essentially clone their predecessors' screens very recently, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are widely expected to focus on overall refinements and a major specific upgrade in the processing power department. But the second-gen in-house Tensor chip is largely shrouded in secrecy, and the same goes for the "software magic" rumored to improve the otherwise unchanged cameras of the two upcoming stock Android handsets.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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