In short: The Google Pixel 3 XL isn’t quite done leaking out ahead of its October 9 unveiling. Twitter user Ishan Agarwal has gotten his hands on some pictures of the Google Pixel 3 XL in the white color, which also apparently has a mint-colored power button. Agarwal states that these pictures were sent to him from a source of his that has the device in hand. He also stated that the backside is “frosted glass” and the sides feel like they might be plastic. Though it is also possible that the sides are metal but painted like the Pixel 2 and 2 XL were last year. What’s interesting here is the mint-colored power button. It definitely looks cool, but it’s also not that surprising to see, seeing as Google used an orange power button on the white and black (often referred to as the “panda”) version of the Pixel 2 XL last year.
Agarwal also has some screenshots from the phone, which shows some of the camera specs. There is supposedly still a 12-megapixel rear camera that can do 4K video at 30fps. And the front-facing camera is a 8-megapixel sensor that can do full HD video. The camera UI also appears to be a bit different compared to the Pixel 2 XL camera interface. With the modes being just above the shutter button, instead of being tucked away in a hamburger menu in the upper left-hand corner.
Background: The Pixel 3 XL has leaked out a ton in the past month or so, and that is partly Google’s fault, but also partly due to a shipment of Pixel 3 XL’s getting stolen in Russia and sold on the black market for about $2,000 a piece. Because of this, we have seen just about every angle of the Pixel 3 XL, and even seen “full reviews” of the device. Google has also been leaking different aspects of the devices as of late, which is common for smartphone makers to do, before an announcement, to drum up some hype for the phone.
Impact: Google is still expected to announce the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL at its annual hardware event on October 9 in New York City. Of course the Pixel 3 may not be the star of the show, as Google typically releases a ton of other hardware at these events now, especially for the smart home and Google Assistant market.
