This opinion is jumping the gun a little bit, given that the official announcement of Google’s rebranded “Pixel” lineup is set for October 4^th. However, with the most recent set of leaked photos of the Pixel duo, many are weighing in early with their thoughts of the alleged design, which are right on par with what we’ve seen from past leaks and renders anyway. Basically, there don’t seem to be any surprises here.

Many have stated that the design is largely uninspiring, and I would have to agree with that sentiment; there’s hardly anything “fresh” or new about the Pixel design, save for the odd partial glass back that only covers a portion of the back end of the device. The device also features an aluminum finish for the rest of the back and the sides, and a rear fingerprint sensor as well. The rounded corners and large bezels on the front of the device are reminiscent of a home button-less iPhone – which, as you could reasonably predict, is the exact opposite of impressive for much of the Android community.

If I’m being perfectly honest, I was actually kind of pleased with the way it looks. I know it's an unpopular opinion, because aside from it looking so similar to an iPhone on the front, the huge bezels are a particular issue when the industry has been aiming for smaller and smaller bezels as of late (and in some cases, going above and beyond to make them virtually non-existent with edged displays). I can see the issue, as there appears to be a lot of wasted space where there could be something useful such as front-facing speakers, or even room for a larger display. While I understand and empathize with these issues, I still find that I’m not put off by its overall design.

It’s simple, and I like that. Also, as an iPhone fan who also happens to enjoy the Android operating system, being able to have an iPhone-like phone that runs on Android is kind of neat in my opinion as well. I have enjoyed being able to customize my Galaxy S7 since I switched a few months ago, but I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss how the iPhone fit and felt in my hand.

Despite my lack of hatred for the design, however, I have to wonder how exactly this similarity will affect Pixel. It certainly looks like a lawsuit waiting to happen, and nothing fuels the fires of Android (manufacturers) vs. Apple arguments quicker than copycat features and designs.

To potentially make matters worse is that Pixel is rumored to start at a whopping $649. Pricing may work because people who previously didn’t know about the Nexus line wouldn’t expect anything else – this would simply be a cool new phone from tech giant, Google. But many who are actively watching Nexus evolve into Pixel are probably holding on to certain... affordable expectations. If this ends up being the case, that’s a double whammy against Google for veterans; not only does it look like that dastardly iPhone, but it costs as much as one, too.

And if that isn’t bad enough, recent rumors also suggest that Verizon may be the only carrier to offer the device exclusively. However, I’m certain that wouldn’t bar Google from selling it on the Google Store like they do with Nexus; it would just limit how many people would take an interest in it, because that whole “carrier exclusive” thing just doesn’t seem to fly with people anymore.

There’s a lot of speculation over Pixel right now, and understandably so as many are looking for something to ease their Note and iPhone 7 woes. While odds aren’t looking good for Pixel to be some vastly different offering to the current line-up, I think it still has a good chance of gaining traction so long as the specs are good, its battery doesn’t explode, and it features a headphone jack.

Readers, what are your thoughts about Pixel? Do recent leaks leave you feeling excited or disappointed about its alleged design? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!