It’s not often we get a glimpse of smartphones in their pre-production state (especially officially). However, in an interview with the head of design for hardware products at Google, Ivy Ross, we got a look at some early prototypes of the Pixel 2 and Pixelbook.
Looking at the many iterations of the Pixel 2, it seems like Google always kept the two-tone design of the phone; some of the prototypes also had a more squarish design than others. Aside from that, it’s likely Google experimented with different screen sizes for the Pixel 2 – there are distinctly taller or wider devices.
The Pixelbook, on the other hand, had some interesting iterations too. Some of the pre-production models had much larger glass shades, and even the Pixelbook Pen sees several different iterations.
According to a tipster who spoke with 9to5Google, Google supposedly experimented with swappable backplates for the Pixel 2 as well; perhaps inspired from the now shelved Project Ara modular smartphone. Some small aesthetic touches were apparently considered too, including a fingerprint sensor in one of Google’s four signature colours – green, yellow, blue, and red.
It’s certainly interesting to see early iterations of gadgets, especially from a company like Google. According to Ross, Google design devices that are “friendly, emotionally-appealing and easy to fit into your life and your home.”
(Source: Google Blog via 9to5Google)
