Possibly not even being aware of it
In the future, Google should exercise greater caution while working on top-secret prototypes. After a prototype Pixel Watch was found at a restaurant back in April, a Pixel 7 was seen for sale on eBay just a few days ago.
However, it looks that sales of prototypes have been going on for some time, as one Redditor has been happily using the Pixel 7 Pro for weeks. Those hoping for major revisions should be wary because the buyer may not have been aware that the item was the unreleased model when it was acquired.
“Using it for approximately three weeks” without any problems, AMC20 (opens in new tab) bought a “Google Pixel 6 Pro” from a North Texas Facebook Marketplace seller.
Google was apparently alarmed by recent allegations of prototypes leaking, and the phone in issue “started acting funny” before being remotely reset. Here’s what it looks like now:
“It’s been operating perfectly for the entire time I’ve had it until this morning,” stated the poster. While getting dressed in the morning, “the screen started flickering and doing crazy things.”
The phone then informed the user that it was undergoing a factory data reset and would not allow them to interfere with it. That was followed by a screen that read “erasing date,” according to the Redditor. “I believe Big G was the culprit.”
There aren’t a lot of specifics to go on, but it appears like a screen protector built for the Pixel 6 Pro will function on the Pixel 6 (opens in a new tab). In addition, “even the fingerprint scanner component matched up beautifully,” the poster stated (opens in new tab).
Apparently, the original vendor claims(opens in new tab) that they believed it was a Pixel 6 Pro but that they had “additional units” that were also deleted, but this is not confirmed.
In the poster’s defence, it does look a lot like the Pixel 6 Pro, right down to the Stormy Black colour scheme. Whether you believe that explanation is up to you. The emblem on the rear of the prosecution’s case is not the standard Google ‘G’.
Google’s own teaser shows that the Pixel 7 will appear familiar, but it’s what’s on the inside that really counts. A quicker second-generation Tensor processor, improved camera performance, and — ideally — better battery life are all on the list of incremental upgrades.