Opinion post by

Calvin Wankhede

You’ve probably heard it a million times already but I’ll complain about it again — smartphone design has become a bit boring. That’s especially true in the flagship space, where manufacturers seem to think that higher prices merit subdued colors — devoid of any fun or playful charm. Google has historically been one of the few remaining holdouts in this regard. However, the color options for this year’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro have left me wanting. More than that, they have me wishing Google would just bring back the Moto Maker design studio and let me customize my own smartphone.

Besides black and white this year, you can get the Pixel 7 in Lemongrass and Pixel 7 Pro in Hazel. However, I don’t think either of these is as bold as the Kinda Coral of the Pixel 6 or as quirky as the Purple-ish of the Pixel 3a. And unlike a few generations ago, there’s still no accented power button. Worse still, the Pixel’s signature dual-tone look has disappeared this year too.