Google Gives an Insight into How it Designed the Pixel's Camera Bar

When it launched the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro back in the fall of 2021, Google also introduced a refreshed approach to the Pixel's camera hardware design, which came with a rather distinct look compared to older Pixel models. This has since grown to be one of the signature design aspects of the company's flagship smartphone line.

The upcoming Pixel 8 series will also retain this visual element, and as such Google decided to give users a bit of insight into how the camera bar was designed. Given the upgrades that came with the Pixel 6 series' cameras, Google's design team wanted to move away from the squared-off island that originally dominated the rear panel of older Pixel models. Industrial Designer Sangsoo Park states:

"If you look back at Pixel 5 all the sensors were all grouped into this little square - so when we knew the camera would be greatly improved, we wanted to do something different. We didn't want the phone to be bigger, and wanted to really maintain everything being contained and streamlined, but also celebrated in a way."

Sangsoo also says that the engineering and design teams wanted to try something new with a camera design that was completely different, adding that it was a massive undertaking to rearrange the Pixel's cameras, which now came with a third sensor (on the Pro models). The design team would end up calling the new design "visually clean" (we couldn't really argue with that).

The Pixel's new camera window has since evolved to add newer elements, moving from a completely black visor look to a metal frame that houses the camera lenses and keeps the overall shape of the camera bar. based on what Google has revealed about the Pixel 8 so far, it looks like this year's phones will retain the design seen on the Pixel 7 series.