Well, that was unexpected. Google just went ahead and confirmed the Pixel 4's design on its Made by Google Twitter page, mere days after several mockup artists published renders and dummy units of the device.

(Image credit: Google)

"Well, since there seems to be some interest, here you go!" the tweet reads. "Wait 'til you see what it can do. #Pixel4"

Lo and behold, Google's official art looks exactly like the earlier leaked proposal from OnLeaks and Pricebaba. There's a rectangular camera stack on the back housing at least two lenses — a first for the Pixel line.

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There's also a flash, as well as a third sensor between the the two shooters toward the top of the module, though we don't know precisely what it will be used for. It could be a depth-sensing time-of-flight sensor — akin to what's on the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G — or something even more exotic.



You may also notice there's no fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, which marks another first for Google's handsets. Whether this will be replaced with an in-display optical or ultrasonic sensor, or perhaps even iPhone-style facial recognition, remains to be seen. The latest rumors have pointed to facial recognition, though since Google didn't include a clear look at the front of the Pixel 4 with this render, it's hard to say right now.



As for the design overall, the trademark "Pixel Window" — the mash-up of glossy and matte materials on the back of the handset — appears to be either missing or expressed in a different fashion in the upcoming phone. On the Pixel 3, Google used a unique etching process to change the feel of the glass below the area surrounding the camera. That doesn't appear to be the case here, but again, the teaser image is quite dim.

It's shocking and exciting to see Google confirm the design of its next phone at least a full four months before it's expected to launch. Perhaps it decided it would be wise to get out in front of the rumors this year, in a way the company probably wishes it could have with the Pixel 3.

But design is only one part of the story — rumors have pointed to lots of other features planned to debut in Google's next phone, and we're excited to learn more about them in the coming months. Catch up on all of the latest Pixel 4 rumors on our hub page.