Google has never been able to keep its Pixel phones secret. Everything there is to know about the unreleased phones leaks months before their launch. We’ve even had early reviews of unreleased Pixel phones. Google tried to stay ahead of leaks by confirming the Pixel 4’s signature features months ahead of schedule a couple of years ago. That only made things worst, as the leaks were easy to verify. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are this year’s brand new Google phones. They’ve appeared in several leaks so far, although Pixel 6 leaks aren’t quite as frequent. As we get closer to October, that might change, and we already have the first purported real-life photo of the Pixel 6 Pro.
The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro designs leaked a few months ago. Several leakers posted similar renders online that featured the same design. Google devised a radical redesign for the Pixel series that screams “flagship.” The Pixel 5 was a mid-range disappointment last year. But Google is changing that with a brand new design and a bunch of exciting high-end specs.
After last week’s Pixel 6 specs leak for the two new Google devices, we now get to look at what appears to be the first real-life photo of a Pixel 6 Pro.
The Pixel 6 Pro prototype
The device in the following images appears to be the more powerful Pixel 6 model — the Pixel 6 Pro. The phone looks exactly like renders suggested it would. On the front, there’s a large hole-punch display. The screen features curved edges, and the phone seems to be running Android 12 beta. (The clock widget gives the operating system away.)
On the back, we have the two-tone design consistent with previous Pixels. The Pixel 6 phones feature a large camera bump that takes up the entire width of the device. In it, we have three camera lenses, a large flash, and what appears to be another sensor. One of the lenses should be a periscope telephoto camera — the square one. Assuming the Pixel 6 Pro leaks are real, we’re looking at a couple of firsts for Google.
The Pixel 6 Pro might be the first Google phone with a triple-lens camera on the back. It would also be the first Pixel phone with a periscope lens.
The phone’s rear panel might be made of glass, so wireless charging would be in the cards. Also, there’s no fingerprint sensor on the back, so it should be implanted under the display.
Is it the real deal?
The phone also features a Google logo on the back and a model number. But none of the above guarantees we’re looking at an actual Pixel 6 Pro prototype.
We might be looking at a knock-off. Or it could be a dummy Pixel 6 version. It’s unclear where the photos were snapped and who got access to this prototype. Speaking of it being a prototype, this alleged Pixel 6 Pro doesn’t feature any of the suspected markings we’d expect to see on a test unit.
Google will probably unveil the next-gen Pixel 6 phones in early October. We expect to see more Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro leaks until then, including more hands-on images with the handsets.
