Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google’s new Pixel 9a has virtually eliminated its camera bump, to no small controversy.
- The company earlier shared how the phone’s larger battery helps balance out camera component thickness.
- Now Google’s talking directly about its design priorities for a playful, minimalist camera.
The Pixel 9a has finally arrived, but not without a measure of controversy. We’re not talking about its mysterious delay, either; lots of Pixel fans seem to have some strong thoughts about Google’s decision to eliminate the raised camera bar on the Pixel 9a. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion here, but if you’re curious to learn a little more about how we got to this point, Google’s sharing a bit of insight into its design journey with the Pixel 9a’s camera.
With the Pixel 9a now available at carriers, Google is opening up about how the phone took shape in the way it did, talking about things like its not-quite-purple, not-quite-blue “Iris” colorway, or the choice to go with a 120Hz pOLED display. But like so many of you, it’s the choices that led us down this path to remove the camera bar that we’re most curious about.
Trying to achieve a “playful” vibe for the Pixel 9a, Google wanted to maintain familiar design elements like the camera’s pill shape, while also embracing minimalism. The team experiment with some of the configurations you see below, balancing not just design priorities but also considering the ultimate impact on phone durability.
Interestingly, Google draws a comparison to the Pixel Watch’s “water droplet shape” here, which we now can’t help but see. In fact, the company argues that this shouldn’t even be thought of as a camera bump at all, and that it’s probably better described as a “dome.”
Whatever your feelings about the Pixel 9a’s camera design may be, this is ultimately a functional component, and for a lot of people, what matters most is going to be how well it actually performs. Luckily, we’ve got an early Pixel 9a camera gallery put together to give you a look at what this hardware is capable of.
Do you think Google made a smart choice with flattening out the camera on the 9a? Do you miss a more pronounced camera bump you can really get your hands around? Make your case down in the comments.
