It’s been a few years since Google introduced the camera bar on the Pixel 6. Over the next few generations, Google refined the look of the unique design element, most recently rounding off its edges on the Pixel 9 series. We are not sure what the future holds for the Pixel 10, but new high-quality renders purportedly showing off the design of the Pixel 9a seem to reveal that Google is removing the camera bar on its budget phone.
On Monday, Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) teamed up with Android Headlines to share an early look at the upcoming Google Pixel 9a. While the design of the Pixel 8 looked rather similar to that of the Pixel 8a, that won’t be the case this year.
As you can see in the video and image above, Google appears to have smoothed out the back side of the new budget phone. The dual camera module still sits on its own small “island” on the rear panel, but the camera bar is nowhere to be found.
Android Headlines also points out that the Pixel 9a will ship with Android 15 when it launches next year, which wasn’t the case for the Pixel 9. There’s also a chance that this will be the final Google phone to ship with a processor from Samsung, as the Pixel 10 is expected to feature a custom Google processor built by TSMC.
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As for specifications, we suspect the Pixel 9a will perform similarly to the Pixel 8a, but with the Tensor G4 replacing the Tensor G3. Google announced the Pixel 8a in May 2024, and everyone is expecting a similar timeline for the Pixel 9a.
“The Google Pixel 9 Pro retains many of the design elements from previous Pixel phones, including the camera bar across the back of the device. But it also offers a number of design tweaks that I actually quite like,” said Christian de Looper in a review of the Pixel 9 Pro for BGR. “For starters, that camera bar is a little more distinct and avoids blending into the frame like Pixel phones before it. It’s certainly noticeable, but I like the look, and it helps give the phone a unique design without verging on looking too silly.”