May 14, 2024 20:00:00

A Google designer said, '90% of users use smartphone cases, so we design with the assumption that the case will be used.'

Claude Zellweger, the designer of the Pixel series at Google, spoke to the foreign media 'Inverse' in an interview. In the interview, he talked about how the camera bar came to be installed and the usage rate of smartphone protective cases by users.

The Real Reason Google Keeps Changing the Pixel Camera Bar

https://www.inverse.com/tech/pixel-camera-bar-google-interview

The first Pixel smartphone was the Pixel , released in 2016. The Pixel had only one rear camera on the top left, and the Pixel 2 , released in 2017, and the Pixel 3 , released in 2018, also had one rear camera on the top left. Zellweger points out that the camera placement in the Pixel series up to the Pixel 3 was subject to significant engineering constraints.

The Pixel 4 , released in 2019, and the Pixel 5 , released in 2020, are equipped with multiple cameras, and the camera section protrudes from the rest of the phone. According to Zellweger, the camera was considered to be part of the main design element for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 5.

And

the Pixel 6 , released in 2021, has a large camera bar. Zellweger said, 'The design of the Pixel 6 was driven by our desire to have a more sophisticated camera module. We wanted the multiple lenses in the Pixel 6 to be more hidden, rather than looking like separate lenses. The camera bar across the device is a good design that makes it recognizable as a Pixel from across the room.'

The camera bar has continued to be used since then, all the way up to

the Pixel 8a released in 2024.

On the other hand, the Pixel Fold released in 2023 adopted a different camera design from other Pixel series. Regarding this point, Zellweger explained, 'Design should not be cramped. It should always be possible to design optimally for a specific category of product. With a folding smartphone like the Pixel Fold, when you open it and use it, it is no longer a 'bar that reaches from end to end.' So we adopted a floating design that is appropriately positioned within the overall shape.'

When Google releases a Pixel series, it also releases cases to match each device. For example, the Pixel 8a also comes with a case in the same color as the device itself.

According to Zellweger, 90% of users use a case, so the Pixel 8 series is designed with the appearance of the case in mind, enhancing the sense of unity when the case is attached.

When asked by Inverse about the next generation of models, Zellweger said, 'Users want continuity in design. Users also want progress. Visual progress needs to follow technological progress, not zigzag all over the place.'

In addition, images that are believed to be of the Pixel 9 series have already been leaked on the Internet. According to the leaked information, the camera of the Pixel 9 series will have a floating design similar to the Pixel Fold.

Will Google Pixel 9 be available in three models: 'Pixel 9', 'Pixel 9 Pro' and 'Pixel 9 Pro XL'?

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