Capping Off Endless Leaks, the Pixel 3 XL Is Already on Sale in Hong Kong Before Launch Event

Google has had a rough time ahead of its October hardware launch event—namely, spoilers about the upcoming Pixel 3 line keep leaking online via Russian tech bloggers, Imgur posts, and even the backseats of Lyft cabs. It’s gotten so bad some have cooked up wild theories Google is deliberately leaking inaccurate information about the phones. Well, mere days before the October 9th event, Engadget senior editor Richard Lai has obtained an apparent copy of a Pixel 3 XL from a Hong Kong mobile shop.

Pretty much everything about the phone Lai obtained matches up with the leaked details, so there’s not much to spoil here. The Pixel 3 XL has a 6.3-inch screen, 128GB storage capacity, and a Snapdragon 845 chipset, as well as four gigabytes of RAM (though Lai noted the possibility of a premium version with six gigabytes). The screen appears to be an improved P-OLED at a 1440p resolution, though Lai wasn’t entirely sure what type it is or what the true battery capacity is:

The screen resolution is listed as 2,960 x 1,440, but it’s unclear what type of OLED panel is being used here — maybe LG’s P-OLED again like last time, but a seemingly improved version even when viewed under the sun. That notch though... it sure looks a little weird when placed alongside my OnePlus 6. As for the battery, the 3,732mV voltage value displayed in CPU-Z could be indicative of the cell capacity, though previous reports had pointed to 3,430 mAh.

As for the cameras, Lai noted that the model he got his hands on has a 12.2-megapixel main camera, as well as two 8-megapixel front cameras capable of taking extra-wide shots.

“Interestingly, it seems that to Google, being able to take easier group selfies is more important than having a telephoto lens for the main camera,” Lai wrote. “As for video recording, the main camera can go up to 4K 30fps, whereas the selfie camera is limited to 1080p.”

There’s possibly more being kept in reserve for the announcement event on Tuesday—Engadget speculated something to do with its HDR+ photo tech—but Google is expected to launch other gear alongside the Pixel 3 line, including a smart speaker with a built-in display, the Chromecast 3, new earbuds, and maybe a new version of the Pixelbook. Google could of course surprise everyone by launching an entirely different line of phones, but that’s verging on tinfoil hat territory.