Pixel 8 Pro mod gives the camera bar the brushed finish Google should have used [Gallery]

Ben Schoon | Apr 30 2024 - 12:32 pm PT

Google’s Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro are well-designed smartphones, but the polished metal finish around the camera module is often easy to scratch and not the best look. Now, though, one Pixel 8 Pro owner took it upon themselves to manually give the metal a brushed look, and it’s really quite nice.

The polished metal around the camera module on Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro is pretty easy to damage even if the phone is in a case. The metal is just easy to scratch, and it doesn’t look all that good when that happens. That’s part of the reason it’s so frustrating that the smaller and cheaper Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 use a matte finish instead, which is considerably more durable.

There are protectors on the market to help with the durability issues, but it’s pretty universally agreed that Google probably should have just gone with some form of a textured metal on these phones.

Reddit user u/the_skinny_drummer took up the challenge of turning the polished metal into a brushed look, and the results are really good! Images shared of the Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro show this new brushed finish which was achieved using Scotch Brite scouring pads.

We definitely would not advise doing this as it likely wouldn’t be viewed kindly by Google in the case of a warranty claim, and you also risk scratching the glass on the back and on the camera lens too (which it seems like may have happened on the 7 Pro). But, still, the cheap and clearly effective mod really does improve the look, especially on Pixel 8 Pro as the camera now more closely matches the matte glass finish.

The much safer solution is to pick up a skin. dbrand includes a camera bar skin with a full package, but there are others who will sell just the camera skin, such as XtremeSkins.