Google Pixel 4 XL breaks cover (again) in the CRAZIEST leak we've seen to date

(Image credit: Google)

published 16 September 2019

The Google Pixel 4 XL could take the biscuit for the most leaked smartphone in history. Seriously, this thing has broken cover more times than we've had hot dinners. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the handset surfaced (once again) over the weekend — this time in a mind-boggling 21 images, showing it off from all angles. Yep, you read that right. 21. That's more than the number of renders Big G will undoubtedly use to showcase the handset on its website when it's unveiled.

Seeing as the Google Pixel 4 XL has leaked more than bucket with a hole in it, we know almost everything there is to know about the handset. So, if you're here hoping to find out an exciting new feature, you're in the wrong place. Heck, at this point we'd be surprised if there was even something we hadn't seen. But that's not to mean this latest tidbit isn't valuable. Quite the opposite, actually. Obtained by The Verge, the images confirm all the details we've heard to date — and that's a big deal.

The handset pictured is the same model we've seen on our screens so much over the course of the past few months. You know, the Google Pixel 4 XL? If you haven't the foggiest what we're talking about, here's what you need to know: The Google Pixel 4 XL is set to be the largest model in the Google Pixel 4 range, bundling a 6.2-inch 90Hz display, a Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 855 CPU, 6GB of RAM, a dual-camera on both the front and rear, 128GB of storage and a 3700mAh battery.

Image 1 of 21

Interestingly, The Verge was able to pick up on a detail that had gone unnoticed in earlier leaks: Google has increased the speed of the aperture, moving from the f/1.8 on the Google Pixel 3 to f/1.73 on the Google Pixel 4 XL. It also noted that the camera shoots in 16:9 by default so that images take up the entire camera screen, despite the sensor being built to snap in 4:3, relying on software to bridge the gap between the two aspect ratios — a move that will certainly sacrifice picture quality.

Fortunately, most of the leaks have been about the flagship Google Pixel 4 XL, so Google will still have something to announce in the form of the regular Google Pixel 4 and potentially even a budget Google Pixel 4a when takes to the stage for its big reveal. While there's been no information to suggest when that will be, the Mountain View-based titan has long taken the wraps off its latest Pixel smartphones in October, so if we had to hazard a guess, we'd say that's when the deal is going down.

Having spent half a decade writing about the latest news for some of the world’s largest publications, Josh is one of the most recognised reporters in the space. Nowadays, in addition to covering the odd news article, he spends most of his time keeping T3's long-form consumer content up to date, while also researching and reporting on the best deals to help you save some serious scratch.