Google's next Pixel phone might be hiding in plain sight

Could the Pixel 3 be the first edge-to-edge phone with no notch? The latest beta of Android P has us thinking this thanks to a phone rendering found in Settings first spotted by SlashLeaks.

Interestingly, the front of the phone depicted appears to be all screen with no bezels or notch -- a design that manufacturers have so far not been able to achieve. The core reason for this is the placement of the sensors, earpiece, and front-facing camera, which are difficult if not impossible to put beneath a screen and still perform reliably.

On most devices, these live above the display in a wide bezel or a notch. Essential has gotten close with a small circular notch, and the concept Vivo Apex has the camera pop up from the top. As of yet, no fully released smartphone has managed to be all screen without a notch.

This unidentified smartphone appears in two Settings panels in the Android P build, including the "Swipe up on Home button" graphic below. Lending some credence to the Pixel 3 theory, other panels within the build's Settings show a different rendering; these are the only two with the edge-to-edge design.

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Okay, reality check: This is just speculation based off of two graphics in a beta build of Android. It's entirely possible the software team at Google might be trying out different visuals ahead of the full Android P launch. No actual photos of the Pixel 3 have been posted online, and we're still several months out from an expected unveiling.

However, the phone icons depicted in last year's Android 8.0 Oreo beta turned out to be dead ringers for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, which gives this particular Easter egg a little extra chocolate. It would be a little odd for Google to create these designs and include them just for two panels in settings.

A smartphone with a true edge-to-edge screen hasn't yet arrived, but Google (and others) are already heading in this direction. Every version of Android has Easter eggs, and this very well might be our first look at the Pixel 3. We're probably in for a long wait, though: The tech giant is expected to unveil the next-gen Pixel, notch or no notch, this fall.

Reps for Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.