CNET details the Google Pixel’s design: colors, button textures, and more

CNET has today published a deep(ish) dive into the design of the Google Pixel, and it’s definitely worth a quick read if you’re as much of a fan of the phone as I am.

The piece touches on a few things you might not know about the Pixel, like how the company decided on minor details like the texture of the power button:

The team was careful not to choose anything too rough, but they also knew that anything too smooth would be pointless. After going through several iterations that included diagonal lines and triangles laid out in different patterns, Google landed on a diamond, crosshatch pattern.

There’s also apparently a thin sheet of film beneath the glass of the blue and white models that creates a yellowish dichroic effect. I wasn’t aware of this touch until now:

But beneath the glass on the Pixel’s blue and silver versions is a thin film that makes the glass reflect a soft yellow tint. Called a dichroic effect, it’s similar to the natural multicolored sheen of soap bubbles.

And the black model apparently has a slightly different texture on the back as compared to the white and blue models:

Unlike the satiny feel on the blue and silver, the black Pixel is grainier, rougher. The reason, again, was purely aesthetic.

There’s also mention of Google’s thinking when it comes to colors. Apparently, the company ended up with the “Really Blue” we all have come to love partly because of its “polarity”. Google also explored many other colors for the third, more “fun” color before landing on blue:

In its quest to find the perfect showcase color, the team brought in focus groups to evaluate different color samples and mock-ups. Dozens of colors were proposed, including an emerald green, a dusty purple, a deep yellow and a delicate baby blue.

Head over to CNET to see some images of pre-production Google Pixel devices and read the full piece.