Following the Pixel 9a release, Google shared more about the phone’s design, including other looks it explored for the camera.
Google “explored a variety of designs for the rear camera bump,” and shared a low-resolution image of those other takes.
These images show their rear camera bump shape study, which focused on its overall form and appearance as well as certain shapes’ ability to withstand drops and impact.
Something close to the final design appears at the center of the top row, with Google ultimately using a pill that’s minimally domed.
The first image shows a bump that nearly spans the entire width of the device. That design would have looked closer to the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, but without the elevation. Some people might have preferred if Google went that route to maintain the lineage. The last image in that row shows a vertical pill that’s vaguely reminiscent of the iPhone’s camera square.
“It’s its own device but still feels like a Pixel, and that was the goal. It belongs in the family!” says Soniya Jobanputra, a product management director who works on Pixel devices. “But this time, it’s less like a little brother or sister and more like a cousin to our incredible premium devices.”
Elsewhere, Google switched to a thinner plastic OLED (pOLED) panel that made possible “more internal space for the battery and allowed the team to lower the camera placement to minimize the bump, all while maintaining that durable, mid-frame architecture.” Of note is how:
“It wasn’t our intention to deliver an even better display,” Soniya says. “We had a pretty awesome display with 8a. But we were able to boost up the brightness and power efficiency by opting for a new pOLED panel.”
Peak brightness went from 2,000 to 2,700 nits.
Google confirms that Iris is “like an update to [the Purple-ish] colorway” on the Pixel 3am, which was a fan-favorite: “At first glance, Iris can appear blue or purple. It feels calm yet confident, opinionated yet widely appealing, making it the perfect hero color for the new A-series.”
Meanwhile, Google’s Pixel 9a Case lets you “see the color inside” without taking it off given how the cutout encompasses the camera and flash.
