When the Pixel 7 was spotted on eBay, the accompanying images had indicated that a Pixel 7 Pro unit was used to snap an image of its lesser sibling, so it was only a matter of time until someone got their hands on it. AMC20_ used the device for three weeks before Google got wind of it and wiped the phone to make it unusable. As noted by Esper’sMishaal Rahman on Twitter, Google was probably able to identify the Pixel 7 Pro prototype by its markings.
During Google’s I/O conference in May, we got a sneak peek of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Although the phones aren’t expected to be available until the fall, several prototypes have already been sold. A Pixel 7 device appeared on eBay a few days ago, and now someone claims to have purchased the Pro model from Facebook Marketplace. According to Reddit user AMC20_, they thought they had purchased the Pixel 6 Pro because the Pixel 7 Pro prototype was advertised as such. The Pixel 6 Pro and its replacement, as seen in official Google pictures, have a similar basic appearance, but they are distinct enough to be distinguished. The phone, for example, has an
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Apparently, Pixel 7 prototypes are freely being sold on Facebook, and how they made it out there is anyone’s guess. Before the Pixel Watch was unveiled by Google last month, someone found an abandoned unit in a restaurant, so it’s hard to say if Google is simply being irresponsible or if these things are being done on purpose.
When they now try to switch on the phone, they are redirected to Android’s fast boot recovery menu, which corroborates previously leaked information, such as the device is codenamed Cheeta and it features a Samsung-made modem. According to a separate report, the Pixel 7 range’s second-generation Tensor chip will also be made by Samsung.
There is still plenty unknown about the Pixel 7 phones, such as the exact camera specs and battery capacities, and this should help keep some mystery alive around the Pixel 7 series before their rumored October announcement. There is also a possibility that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will be accompanied by a third, more premium model, so perhaps this is the secret Google is trying to distract us from by driving attention to the other two models.
