What you need to know
- An Ebay seller has reportedly gotten hold of a Pixel 7 prototype.
- Images show off different angles of the phone, which has already been sold.
- The Pixel 7 series will reportedly sport a 4nm second-gen Tensor chip built by Samsung.
Google made a splash when it pre-announced the Pixel 7 at its I/O conference in early May, getting ahead of (much of) the rumors ahead of its fall launch. However, not even Google can keep everything under wraps, as an alleged prototype was spotted on eBay, a development that rings similar to the big Pixel Watch leak.
From the eBay listing, the alleged Pixel 7 prototype looks identical to the images that Google teased at I/O, with the new design for the camera bar. The device also appears to be in working condition, with the display turned on and displaying some information about the device, such as the built-in 128GB of storage. One image also reveals the model number (GVU6C).
One close-up image of the camera bar even shows a reflection of the Pixel 7 Pro, as noted by the extra camera cutout in the bar. However, the seller has reportedly already sold the device.
The seller told The Verge that they purchased the Pixel 7 from a wholesaler, although they didn't initially realize which model they had gotten their hands on until after the fact. The $450 eBay listing has already closed — a steal for any of the best Android phones, let alone a new Pixel flagship.
And while the images don't reveal too much about the upcoming flagship, a new report (via 9to5Google) appears to provide some information about the upcoming Tensor chip that will power the phone. According to the report, the chip will be built on a 4nm node, and production will begin in June. This will also be manufactured by Samsung, just like the first Tensor chip, and use a panel level package (PLP) technology to reduce cost and improve productivity.
If the report is true, this should hopefully help improve the availability of the new phones when they launch in the fall alongside the new Pixel Watch.
