Google Pixel 7 'prototype' leaks on eBay months before expected release

Device's listing image also appears to have been taken by a Pixel 7 Pro, another model that has yet to be unveiled

The Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro models are expected to be released in October. Bloomberg

An alleged prototype of Google's Pixel 7 smartphone was listed on eBay, in what appears to be another case of a product leak way before its official release.

The listing, from a seller who goes by the account name meetveeru, said the “pixel 7 prototype” ran on “Android 13 and pixel apps in development stage” and was unlocked. The item was listed from McKinney, Texas.

However, the listing was removed, with the seller cited posting had been made in “error”.

The Google Pixel 7 prototype spotted on eBay, from a seller named meetveeru, with what seems to be a Pixel 7 Pro reflected on its rear. Photo: meetveeru/eBay

The more interesting part, upon closer inspection of one of the listing's images, is that the reflection on the rear of the Pixel 7 appears to show that a Pixel 7 Pro was used to take the shot — meaning the seller had access to both devices.

The alleged prototype bears a strong resemblance to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro that Alphabet-owned Google announced at its I/O conference on May 11, and includes the unique camera strip that was first introduced on the Pixel 6.

The reflection purportedly shows the camera set-up on the Pro model.

The leak is the latest in the long line of instances where Google devices have shown up before release, including one in which a prototype of the Pixel Watch — Google's first timepiece that was announced alongside the Pixel 7 — was reportedly found in a US restaurant before the I/O conference.

Even the original Pixels were not spared when Verizon, the largest wireless carrier in the US, appears to have prematurely listed the devices for sale on its website back in 2016.

The Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel Watch, along with the Pixel 6a and Pixel Buds Pro, are expected to be released in October. A tablet was also teased at the I/O event.