Google Confirms Pixel 4 Will Feature Square-Shaped Camera Bump

Google today confirmed that its upcoming Pixel 4 devices will feature a square-shaped rear camera bump, a feature also rumored to be coming to the 2019 iPhones.

A case maker's mockup for the Pixel 4 smartphones leaked earlier this week, and today, Google confirmed the news itself in a tweeted image showing off the new design.

googlepixel4


Google's rear camera setup appears to include two lenses, a microphone, a flash, and a "spectral sensor" at the top that accounts for things like light flicker when filming an LCD display.

Apple too is planning to use a square-shaped camera bump for its 2019 devices, based on leaked rumors, renders, and cases. Just this week we checked out some cases designed for the 2019 iPhone lineup that have large square cutouts to accommodate the new camera arrangement.


Apple's square-shaped camera bump is expected to house triple-lens camera setups for the ‌iPhone‌ XS and XS Max successors, along with a dual-lens camera setup for the ‌iPhone‌ XR successor.

2019iphoneswhitebg
Based on leaked information, the three lenses in Apple's camera arrangement are set into a triangle shape. There are two lenses at the left as on the current flagship iPhones, along with one lens in between them set off to the right and a flash above that.

Google's setup, meanwhile, has the two lenses for its camera arranged horizontally with a flash at the bottom. Both of these setups provide more space between the flash and the lenses and there may be other benefits to square-shaped arrangement that both companies are taking advantage of.

Apple is expected to launch its 2019 iPhones in September, while Google's are also rumored to be coming in the fall. Historically, Google's new Pixel phones have come out in October, so while Google has beaten Apple to the punch officially showing off a square-shaped rear camera design first, Apple's 2019 flagship smartphones should launch first.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Foldable iPhone Display Production Begins Ahead of Launch Next Year

Wednesday July 9, 2025 10:59 pm PDT by
Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple's first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea's ETNews reports. The first foldable iPhone's displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
80 months ago
Apple: What if the rear cameras were housed in the ugliest squ—

Google: Hold my beer!
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
80 months ago
Google is the new Samsung, copy copy copy, and even worse, copying rumors.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bladerunner2000 Avatar
80 months ago
Put in a headphone jack. It hurts no one and pleases many.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JGIGS Avatar
80 months ago
Here come all the copying post. AS long as you going to refer to it as copying Huawei Mate 20 and not calling it copying Apple we cool. Also make sure when Apple releases there square camera you all call that copying as well.

Only fair right? Otherwise please just don't post anything to do with copying for all our sanity? Please?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bartszyszka Avatar
80 months ago
I think the comments about copying have an overly simplistic view of how manufacturing works. These components aren't created in a vacuum for one single company. The industry as a whole moves in certain directions and companies like Apple, Google, Samsung figure out how to incorporate new types of components into their products. Obviously it also works the opposite way, the companies that use the components also drive the creation of new ones and put pressure on the manufacturers to come up with new advancements.

If the technology to create fingerprint sensors for cellphones is maturing enough for Apple to use in their phones, it's not like other manufacturers aren't also looking into the technology, aware that it exists, also developing the technology themselves, possibly showing it off at industry trade shows, also looking for ways to incorporate it into other company's cellphones. Some components are also made directly by companies like Samsung, who make their own phones, but also produce components for Apple...

I'm sure it's a similar set of complicated circumstances driving the creation of these square-shaped camera sensors. It happened with companies regiggering how they produce front-facing camera sensors to fit into a notch. They're not just going to sit idoly and continue to product ones that require a forehead and not refine their technology to move in the direction the rest of the industry is moving.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JGIGS Avatar
80 months ago
They didn't copy Apple. Apple hasn't even released a phone with a square camera yet. Just because their leaks came out first? The Huawei mate 20 already exist with a square design so they are both copying Huawei. How do you completely ignore that part of my post?

You're funny. ios neveeeeerrr takes from android eh? How about their notification's? Quick toggles now for wifi and bluetooth in command center? I really don't care who copies what I just want the best usability for the devices I own. If whatever the copying is, is legal what do I care as a consumer?

Bring me my crown Jester.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)