Google Pixel 3 XL: Lyft driver leaks images of smartphone as release date approaches
A Google employee appears to have forgotten the high-end Android in the back of a taxi
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Your support makes all the difference.Eight years after a hapless Apple employee accidentally lost an unreleased iPhone, a similar fate has fallen upon Google's next flagship smartphone, the Pixel 3 XL.
The high-end Android device, which is expected to be launched next month, was discovered by a driver of the ride-hailing app Lyft, who shared pictures of the prototype before handing it back to its owner.
With Apple on the verge of releasing another set of iPhones, there is less buzz surrounding the new Android device as there was for the iPhone 4 when it was left in a bar in 2010, however Google's new smartphone could offer genuine competition to the highly-anticipated iPhone XS.
The Lyft driver who found the Pixel XL 3 phone shared images of it with Android Police, who confirmed that it appeared to be a pre-production unit.
According to the publication, the driver was able to recognise that it was the new Google smartphone because he was the owner of a Google Pixel 2 XL.
The release date of the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL is yet to be confirmed by the tech giant, though the launch cycle of the high-end Android series suggests that it could be as soon as next month.
Its predecessor was released in October 2017, one year after the original Google Pixel smartphone. Speculation surrounding the release date of the Pixel 3 range suggests it will either be on 4 October or 9 October.
Other rumours surrounding the pure Android device include an improved rear camera featuring an upgraded Visual Core chip that improves photos lowlight photography.
Interestingly, while the rear camera bucks the trend of other high-end smartphones by sticking with a single lens setup, the front of the device looks like it will feature a dual-lens camera for improved selfies.
In terms of following the trends set by other manufacturers, Google appears to have adopted the controversial notch design, which was first introduced by Apple with the iPhone X.
The leaked images shared by the Lyft driver clearly show a notch at the top of the screen that incorporates the camera and sensors, while allowing the screen to stretch right to the corners of the device. Other leaks suggest the regular Pixel 3 will not feature a notch.
The amount of leaks surrounding the device itself, the only thing that really remains a mystery is what the price will be.
Generally, a phone's predecessors can give an idea of what price to expect when it is released, however Apple and Samsung have been upping the price of its high-end offerings over the last year.
So while the Pixel 2 was priced at $649 (£629) and the Pixel 2 XL cost $849 (£799), Google may decide to price the Pixel 3 XL closer to the thousand-dollar price tag of its rivals larger-sized flagships.
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