Google teases the Pixel 4

Google is working on a successor to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, a handset that will more than likely be unveiled in October later this year. Before that happens, though, the rumor mill has to do its thing, revealing details one by one. But it turns out Google wants to do things a bit differently this year.

Following a render that surfaced of the rumored “Pixel 4” recently, Google has decided that it wants to go ahead and actually confirm that render. Not only that, confirm it by releasing an official image of the Pixel 4 — months before it’s actually going to announce the handset.

Google’s official Twitter account (@madebygoogle) tweeted out an image of the Pixel 4, showing off the back of the phone. We get to see the familiar “G” logo on the back and a white or gray power button on the side. But, most importantly, we get to see the rear camera bump. And this is where things get interesting. We can see at least a pair of cameras, along with a third sensor that could be an additional camera, in a large —square— camera encasement.

You can see the image above. And here’s the tweet from Google:

The reason this is so interesting is because of the square camera bump on the back. Not so much because of the design by itself, but the fact that it appears to be very, very reminiscent of what is expected to be the design Apple is going with for the high-end 2019 iPhone lineup (the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max successors).

Here’s an early render of what that could look like:

Renders are one thing, certainly, and more of a fantasy than a leak. However, there is additional imagery to suggest that Apple is indeed going down the route of this square rear camera bump. We recently reported about case moldings that surfaced, for instance, each of which confirms the design choice:

Google could be trying to get in front of this for the sole reason that Apple will announce its 2019 iPhone lineup in September, before Google’s expected unveiling of the Pixel 4 in October. Or it could just be trying to squash the rumor mill ahead of time. Either way, this is a very different move on Google’s part.

But, what do you think of the design? That’s the most important bit here. Do you like this rear camera setup?