In short: Some key details about Google’s upcoming Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have now been inadvertently leaked via an October advertisement from UK service provider EE. Both handsets are listed as going up for pre-order in October. Although no exact shipment date is provided, the smaller Pixel 3 is listed with an upfront cost of £10 and a monthly price of £58. The notch-bearing Pixel 3 XL is priced at £20 upfront and £63 per month. The promotional offer also guarantees buyers 24-months of BT Sports app access, six free months of Apple Music service, and a free screen protector for those who sign up with damage protection.
Background: Promotional offers for top-tier Android devices aren’t unheard of and Google’s latest Pixel-branded handsets haven’t been an exception to that. Verizon and Google each offered money off of the total cost of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL after launch, for example. The former had a promotional price that was $300 in the US while Google offered $100 in-store credit. At the same time, the pricing of the new devices doesn’t appear to be a lot higher than that of its predecessors either. These prices from EE also include the cost of your monthly service with EE, so we can’t tell how much the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will actually cost, at full retail in the UK (or the US) from these prices.
Impact: In the meantime, Google’s hardware event isn’t planned to take place until October 9 and a leaked promotional ad isn’t likely to change that. Instead, it provides a deeper look at how at least one carrier plans to draw customers in and possibly a better look at the cost of the devices, as outlined above. With that said, it isn’t immediately clear whether or not the offer for a free Apple Music subscription is entirely on EE or if Google had a say in the promotion. The deal isn’t unlike previous offers from the carrier but could also provide an incentive for iOS users to give the latest in Android innovation a try.