Google Pixel XE just leaked – but there’s a catch

It’s been a good year for the Google Pixel lineup, with the launch of the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5. We’ve even heard rumors of a Pixel 5 Pro, which could arrive next March.

But a new rumor hit the web today, and it’s about a brand new Pixel phone – a Pixel XE. The only problem is that we have doubts as to whether this leak is legitimate or not.

The first clue that this phone is coming is a screenshot discovered by Tom’s Hardware, showing the ‘About’ menu of an Android phone’s settings. The phone is referred to as “Google Pixel XE” twice – once under “Device name” at the top and again under “Model and hardware” at the bottom. While you can change a phone’s name to whatever you like, the model doesn’t seem to be the same.

The top left corner of this screenshot also seems to show that this device has eight cores, so if it’s really a Pixel XE, it’s unlikely to be an ultra-cheap device that is found under the Pixel 4a in Google’s line of phones. The mystery device also runs Android 11, and only a handful of devices have access to it. All of this assumes that the image has not been altered in some way.

Another set of images is from SlashLeaks, showing a very fuzzy phone that is also known as the Google Pixel XE. Most importantly, we don’t see the model name or the version of Android it is using, just the name of the phone.

As mentioned before, the name of the phone can be anything you like – even “Baby Yoda” if you want. So the SlashLeaks images prove absolutely nothing, and the fact that we can’t see the model number is a bit suspect.