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The Pixel 4 is seemingly uglier than anyone could have thought

Google is rumoured to be working on three Pixel 4 designs simultaneously. (Image source: OnLeaks & Pricebaba)
Google is rumoured to be working on three Pixel 4 designs simultaneously. (Image source: OnLeaks & Pricebaba)
The Pixel 4 plot thickens. New renders based on early schematics of Google's upcoming flagship have emerged, which look nothing like previous leaks. Google is apparently roadtesting more than one design though to avoid another Pixel 3 XL esque design flop.

The Pixel 4 hype train keeps on rolling and this time Steve Hemmerstoffer, who tweets as @OnLeaks, has weighed in with another set of renders. These are not just another set of concept renders though. Hemmerstoffer claims that he has based these on snaffled schematics, which show a different Pixel 4 to the one that previous leaks have lead us to believe.

These all black renders do not give much away, but they do reveal that Google has been experimenting with the idea of including a large square rear-facing camera housing on its next flagship, akin to recent Apple iPhone XI renders. Moreover, the placement of the earpiece suggests that the Pixel 4 will retain a notch. This which would be a surprise considering the ridicule that Google received for the Pixel 3 XL and its sizable notch. Elsewhere, the schematics suggest that the flagship Pixel series will continue to not have headphone jacks, but it will have physical power and volume buttons. The absence of a fingerprint sensor intersecting the back glass points towards Google opting for an in-screen solution like we have seen on the P30 Pro and Galaxy S10 instead.

The design of the Pixel 4 and its XL sibling may be more complicated previous leaks including those by OnLeaks have let on. According to Max J of AllAboutSamsung, Google currently has three design teams independently prototyping the Pixel 4 series. Executives will then choose the best design and bring it to market as the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. While this may sound inefficient and costly for Google, it is doing so to avoid releasing another ugly smartphone like the Pixel 3 XL and its comical notch.

So, this version of the Pixel 4 could become the device that Google brings to market, the design of which would likely divide opinion. However, it may have some other more aesthetically pleasing designs up its sleeve, like the one that Skinomi still has listed on its website, or perhaps something more like the recent stormtrooper inspired concept render. Hopefully, the latter is the case.

(Image source: OnLeaks & Pricebaba)
(Image source: OnLeaks & Pricebaba)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2019 06 > The Pixel 4 is seemingly uglier than anyone could have thought
Alex Alderson, 2019-06-10 (Update: 2019-06-10)