【Michael Maien】

Google's big Pixel event is Michael Maiena couple days away and the leaks just reached a new level of ridiculous.

Does it even count as a leak if you can just walk into a store and try it out? That's what Engadget's Richard Lai apparently did. The Hong Kong-based writer reports that a local mobile phone shop is selling the still unannounced Pixel 3 XL.

It's not clear if Lai actually purchased the device himself -- the shop was reportedly selling the phone for the equivalent of $2,300 USD -- but he was able to complete a rather thorough hands on with it.

As with all pre-release leaks, a bit of skepticism is necessary, but the phone in Lai's photos and videos appears to be the real deal.

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As expected, the Pixel 3 XL he saw had a 6.3-inch display, with a sizable notch. It packs in a 12.2 MP rear camera and dual 8 MP front-facing cameras. (Another leak from this week also noted the front camera is optimized for better selfies.)

Also of note, the phone Lai saw came with a pair of USB-C headphones in the box, which should address the complaints Google faced last year for shipping the Pixel 2 or or Pixel 2 XL without any headphones.

Lai's unexpectedly early hands on is only the latest in a string of increasingly ridiculous leaks. Numerous photos (of varying quality) have been making the rounds on social media for weeks. That's expected.

What's less expected is someone leaving an unreleased Pixel 3 XL in the back of a Lyft, a Ukrainian blogger posting a full-on unboxing video, and a third-party retailer listing the phone on its website before it's even announced.

The good news -- for Google at least -- is that there's only a couple days to go until the big reveal, which will finally put an end to all those pesky leaks.

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