In a strange turn of events, a person has come to the Google Pixel subreddit to share that they have unknowingly been using an unreleased Google Pixel 7 Pro for the past few weeks. They claim to have purchased the device from Facebook Marketplace, where it was listed as a Google Pixel 6.
Unfortunately for the owner, it seems that they were unaware that the device was a prototype and are now left with a product that performed a factory reset on its own, wiping out personal data. Brandon Lee of This Is Tech Today has stated this prototype came from the same seller as the Google Pixel 7 prototype which was listed on eBay at the tail end of May. Lee stated that the seller was visited by police, suggesting that Google is on the case and that they were potentially in legal trouble.
As for what happens to the phone, it's unclear. It does appear to be a legitimate unit, as the "cloudripper" codename in the bootloader version has been reported as the codename of the upcoming next-generation Google Tensor chipset. "cheetah" has also been reported as the Pixel 7 Pro's internal codename. The phone itself now sits idle and unusable, possibly stuck forever on a recovery screen unless it can be restored once Google posts factory images.
Of course, some were skeptical at first, but the user posted images to show proof of ownership. The user also stated that they purchased a Google Pixel 6 Pro clear case and screen protector and it worked on the unit without issue.
The auction for the Pixel 7 listed on eBay was promptly pulled, but not before people caught a glimpse of the phone. The same phone was listed for $450 USD on the Facebook marketplace. Even more interesting is that in the image for the auction of the Pixel 7 prototype, in the reflection of the phone, it could be seen that the smartphone was being photographed with the Pixel 7 Pro. Lee indicates that these devices are one and the same, as the Facebook listing came first.
For now, we will have to wait patiently, being content with the information that continues to surface about the upcoming Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. The handsets were first teased during Google's I/O 2022 developer conference earlier this month, offering some hints about its specifications and new colors. We also know that the smartphones could use the same displays as their predecessors, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Of course, we'll have to wait a while to be sure, as anything can change before the launch of these devices.
Source: Reddit
Via: 9to5Google , This Is Tech Today (Twitter)