By Devesh Beri
Publication Date: 2026-01-06 18:45:00
A rare design validation test (DVT) prototype of the original Google Pixel from 2016 has appeared on eBay. With a week left on the auction, the prototype’s current highest bid is $163.50, making it a surprisingly affordable (for now) piece of Google and Android history.
The listing photos display a unit called “sailfish-ROW-DVT.” Sailfish was the internal name for the 5-inch Pixel, and DVT indicates it was at a late prototype stage, used to finalize the hardware before mass production began. The device has a “Not For Sale” label and “Property of Google—Android Inventory” stickers on its rear panel.
The prototype runs Android 10 and matches the retail version in terms of specs: Snapdragon 821 processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB storage. The device boots and displays Google apps like Gmail and Maps, but connectivity features appear broken. The listing shows the phone’s SIM status, Wi-Fi MAC address, Bluetooth address, and IP address as unavailable.
It would be fun to know…
