Google Ditched The Most Iconic Pixel Design Choice And Nobody Noticed
Google’s Pixel phones have built a legacy for their peppy design elements, but the Pixel 6 duo no longer rocks that iconic aesthetic touch.
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Google has ditched the iconic colored power button aesthetics with the Pixel 6 duo, and the change has been a little hard to swallow. Now, the Pixel line is mainly about the ‘pristine Android experience.’ Or so say the few thousand Pixel fans on the r/GooglePixel sub-Reddit. The defense does have some factual backing to it. Pixels offer the cleanest Android experience with a sprinkling of some exclusive tricks, fast updates, and longer support. The cameras are good, and the firepower is mainly at the summit. Save for the Google Pixel 5, thanks to its decidedly mid-range chip.
But there’s another aspect that makes the Pixel phones stand out from the crowd — the zany colors. And more specifically, the distinctive two-tone color scheme for the power button. The OG Pixel was a handsome phone, and its Really Blue shade was a breath of fresh air in a sea of white, grey, and black slabs — even though the iPhone 6 inspiration was also quite evident. But Google got its design groove going with the Pixel 2. The two-tone scheme blending glass and painted metal was quite an eyeball-grabber. The ‘Panda’ color, in particular, was simply a stunner. But it was the tiny power button and its contrasting color profile with shades like neon orange and green that took the Pixel design to a whole new level.
The Pixel 3 continued that trend, while the Pixel 4 went one step ahead. The Oh So Orange was the Pixel 4 duo’s signature color, and its orange power button proudly jutting outside the black frame was a pretty monotony-breaking sight. But the off-color scheme was truly alive on the Clearly White trim, whose black frame had an orange button to add some peppy appeal in an otherwise conservative white-black profile. Unfortunately, buyers hoping for the traditional kooky power button design were served a heap of disappointment when the Google Pixel 5 arrived. Just to be clear, the Sorta Sage looks terrific. But its lustrous power button in a similar green shade didn’t give off the signature Pixel design vibe.
It’s Not Much, But An Honest Quibble
The Pixel 5a carried the iconic design mantle, and there were hopes that Google would make a glorious return to form with the Pixel 6. Google returned to form, but the signature two-tone power button did not. The Pixel 6 and its Pro sibling are good-looking phones, but the aesthetic debate around them is far from one-sided. The two phones are significant, and not everyone is a fan of the enormous camera strip at the back. As a small consolation, at least the colors are still somewhat outlandish. But that’s just it. Even Apple has gone all-in on colors, painting everything from iPhones and iPads to even MacBooks in bright pastel shades. But those are all solid colors, and so is the case with the Pixel 6 duo. The bright hues are eye-catching, but nothing breaks the boredom in the signature Pixel way.
Many a Slack and WhatsApp feuds have been waged over the Pixel 6 series’ aesthetics, and Pixel loyalists have furiously defended the ‘fresh’ design on social media armed with the #TeamPixel hashtag. It’s definitely interesting to witness the Pixel loyalty, and it serves as a testament that Google’s design team did a good job this time around. But there is nothing to break the ornamental boredom this year. The colored power button is a fondly-remembered design touch. The beautiful concept (image above) of a Pixel 6 Pro with a delicious orange power button serves as a painful reminder of what could have been. Nostalgia is a powerful element, and Pixel fans feel it in the Reddit comments sections.
It sounds like an absurd topic debating the color of a phone’s power button. Factors like tactile feedback and positioning are more important for users. But one can’t help but sigh mournfully when reminiscing how the tiny power button was an integral design element of a Pixel. An aspect that helped it stand out in a crowd of phones experimenting with everything from color-changing rear panels to leather exteriors to stand out. The Pixel’s power button stood out. And it lifted the Pixel’s design with itself. It was a fun addition that made it a refreshing sight to behold. It made the phone look less boring. And despite what Google does in the future with the Pixel lineup, it will be sorely missed.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/google-pixel-phone-design-change-explained/