While rumors and leaks about upcoming devices are normal and may actually be seeded by the OEMs themselves, Google probably will not be pleased with the latest one surrounding the Pixel 3 XL. It seems like someone from Ukraine has gotten their hands on some pre-release units and they are now selling these phones for $2,000 a pop. The units are also probably the source of a lot of the leaks we’ve been seeing from Russian sites since they seem to be of the same model.
A hands-on video footage of the Pixel 3 XL was leaked a few days ago and there seems to be a watermark which links to a “mysterious” Telegram account. If you contact the account you will then be led to another account where details about the pre-production phone and how you can get one is then sent. Of course everything is in Russian so Google Translate is needed if you don’t have a native Russian speaker present.
The message says there are only 3 pieces of the Pixel 3 XL remaining and that it will cost you $2,000 each. Payment options are Paypal or Bitcoin but they prefer the latter because of a “horse commission” from the former. Once payment has been verified, the phone will be sent from London through DHL or FedEx. The seller is also pushing sales for what are probably black market Google Pixel 2 XL “at a good price” which is $665 with a full set and $565 without the kit.
They also emphasized that what they’re selling is a “pre-release version” but that it looks and works exactly what will be released by October. They’re also saying that the devices actually come from someone else and that they’re buying it from their own “supplier”.
The biggest question of course, aside from if these units are actually legit, is who is the supplier and how were they able to get hold of these Pixel 3 XL units. Google’s legal and security teams and Foxconn’s team as well are now working hard to trace how this could have happened.
VIA: 9 to 5 Google, SlashGear
