The Pixel 9’s leaked camera bump design doesn’t look good

Google is holding a hardware event early this year, so we’re expecting to see the Pixel 9 series debut next month. If the company pushed up its annual release schedule to try and get ahead of leaks, that move didn’t work. Numerous leaked details and renders of the Pixel 9 have come out over the past few weeks, leading up to an alleged hands-on video of the Pixel 9 in Algeria. All the signs are pointing to one very noticeable thing: the Pixel 9 will very likely offer a redesigned camera bump.

Google, like many others making flagship phones, slightly tweaks its camera bump design every year. Now that smartphones are mature devices, there are only so many ways to change the design of a slab year in and year out. However, by changing the camera bump, companies like Google, Samsung, and Apple can make the newest model of smartphones immediately recognizable by their design. It makes the latest devices feel fresh, and it also serves as something of a status symbol. People know you have the newest device by spotting the refreshed camera bump.

It’s a slippery slope. Change isn’t always good, and change just for the sake of change is usually bad. The rumored Pixel 9 camera bar looks to be a step backward in terms of design and functionality, and that’s unfortunate.

The Pixel camera bar is probably changing shape

Leaks suggest the camera bump will be an island on the back of the Pixel 9

Leaks suggested that Google would alter the Pixel 9 camera bump, but those leaks were seemingly confirmed when a video of the new design popped up on X (formerly Twitter). Many were captivated by the hot pink colorway that would be a first for Google. The company often uses muted, pastel colors on its Pixel devices, and the pink colorway is a change of pace. However, the more striking design change can be viewed on the camera bump.

The last two generations of Pixel phones — the Pixel 7 series and Pixel 8 series — featured camera bars with glass windows for the lenses surrounded by metal. You’d have to go back to the Pixel 6 series to see a Pixel phone with an all-glass camera bar. With the upcoming Pixel 9 series, Google might blend the two design languages. The leaked video suggests the Pixel 9 camera will have a nearly all-glass design on the left side of the bump but a nearly all-metal design on the right side.

Few phones today feature the kind of design that the Pixel 9 is rumored to feature. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has individual camera lenses outlined with a titanium border and situated above a glass slab. The Galaxy S24 Ultra similarly features lenses bordered with metal, but those cameras are smaller and sit right atop the rear casing. The metal and glass accents on those two flagships make the camera housings pop with contrast and variety, and the same can be said about the Pixel 8 series. That’s all being tossed aside for the Pixel 9 camera bump design if the leaks are to be believed.

Why the Pixel 9 camera bump looks weird

It’s too thick and doesn’t look contiguous

To be fair, these are leaks, and we don’t know for sure what the Pixel 9 camera bump will look like. However, there’s a good chance this video actually depicts the Pixel 9 camera. If that’s the case, the new camera bar design looks weird, and there are a few reasons why. I find the design jarring because the camera bar looks almost symmetrical — it appears to be about 60% glass and lenses and 40% metal and flash.

Asymmetrical designs are fine, and in fact, most Pixel camera bumps aren’t centered or symmetrical. But it’s worse when something is so close to being symmetrical and isn’t. Psychological studies show that human beings prefer symmetry, and because the Pixel 9 camera bump is nearly symmetrical, it looks like a mistake rather than an intentional design choice. Whereas on the Pixel 8 Pro, for example, the cameras are offset enough to the left that it looks intentional.

There are other oddities about this design. Why is the right side of the camera bump so large if it’s only housing the flash? I’m sure there’s some component under there, but it just looks strange to have the aluminum part of the camera bar so large. In my opinion, it would look better if there was a bit of aluminum on the left and right sides of the lenses. That would make it a bit more visually appealing and make it look like one contiguous part. It’s hard to tell for sure from the video, but the camera bar looks very thick — like it protrudes too much from the body of the smartphone.

Another thing to consider is that the current Pixel camera bars feature metal that surrounds the camera lenses to protect them from scratches. The glass portion is slightly recessed under the metal, so the metal part of the camera bump will hit surfaces first. It’s unclear whether the Pixel 9 will retain this characteristic, but based on the limited amount of aluminum surrounding the glass lens covering, it seems unlikely. Put it all together, and the Pixel 9 camera bump simply looks bad and might be less functional.

Google should’ve mimicked the Pixel Fold bar

It’s the best Pixel camera bar we’ve seen yet

I love what Google has done with its Pixel camera housings over the years. The camera “bar” design makes Pixels immediately recognizable across generations, and it serves a functional purpose. Pixels can lay flat on a desk or table without rocking back and forth, thanks to the flat and long camera bar. This is an underrated part of the Pixel design language that particularly benefits people who don’t use cases on their phones. That’s why I’m disappointed that the Pixel 9 camera bar might be taking a step backward in terms of visual appeal.

The Pixel 9 cameras seem to take some design cues from the Pixel Fold, and that’s not a bad thing. I think the Pixel Fold camera bar is the most attractive of any Google design, and it should bring more of that style to the Pixel 9. Unfortunately, Google probably isn’t going that route, and the Pixel 9 will look a lot worse than the Pixel 8 as a result.