Continued Pattern: Google’s Flagship Unintentionally Exposed in Leak

It has become a tradition for Google’s smartphones to experience some form of leak before their official announcement, earning the reputation of being among the most leaked devices ever. This time, the yet-to-be-announced Google Pixel 8 Pro has been leaked for the second time, appearing unexpectedly on the Google Store page. It wasn’t presented as a full article, of course, but rather in a simple image promoting Google’s services and subscriptions. In fact, it might have gone relatively unnoticed if not for the tweet from the user on Twitter (or X, if you prefer calling them that) @Android_Setting, who commented on the image showing a man using it to make a call (presumably).

The image shows us the eighth generation of Google Pixel, which features a more conservative design compared to the Pixel 7 Pro, albeit with a few slightly different details. Obviously, we don’t know the components this device will have, but there’s nothing stopping us from dreaming (and in fact, it seems quite realistic) that it will far exceed the specifications of the Google Pixel 7 Pro (although the processor might not see a significant improvement). However, the most interesting aspect of the phone has always been its ability to integrate Android in a much more optimized way than other smartphones in its competition.

On the other hand, it’s hard to believe this is a casual leak. Google is well aware of the buzz their “mistake” can generate, and this could be one of the many ways they’re gauging public interest and building anticipation for an upcoming launch announcement. Alternatively, it could be that they intended to surprise-launch it to compete with another significant device, and their plan went awry accidentally. However, considering the attention Google’s foray into the high-end market has been garnering for a few years, the latter seems less believable; this might be the year it finally surges ahead of the competition.