Leaked official Pixel 9a cases confirm the loss of Google’s camera bar design [Gallery] - Related to series, 20%, 9a, higher, download

Galaxy S25 pre-orders in India were 20% higher than for the S24 series last year

Galaxy S25 pre-orders in India were 20% higher than for the S24 series last year.

A week ago, Samsung introduced that Galaxy S25 series pre-orders in South Korea set a new record, surpassing the S24 series pre-orders by 10%. Now the corporation has introduced the pre-order numbers for India and they have improved even more – S25 series pre-orders are 20% higher than last year.

Samsung India reports more than 430,000 pre-orders for the Galaxy S25, S25+ and S25 Ultra in total. There’s no word on the split between individual models, but if it’s like in South Korea, the Ultra makes up the bulk of pre-orders.

For context, last year Samsung reported record-breaking pre-orders from India with 250,000 in just three days. There were more pre-orders after the initial inrush, of course. Even so, this year’s pre-orders totaled 20% more than last year’s pre-orders.

Samsung is catering to the local market – Galaxy S25 phones sold in India are manufactured locally at the Noida factory. Also, Gemini Live was available with Hindi support at launch. The organization also expanded the network of stores that sell its phones to reach smaller cities.

“Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 smartphones set a new standard as true AI companions with Samsung’s most natural and context-aware mobile experiences ever created. We have seen strong demand for the Galaxy S25 series among young tech-savvy consumers, who are at the forefront of Galaxy AI usage. This year, we widened our flagship distribution network to 17,000 outlets, which has helped us tap demand in smaller cities,” revealed Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, MX Division, Samsung India.

In case you’re still on the fence, check out our Galaxy S25 review, our S25+ review and our S25 Ultra review. We also have helpful guides that compare the S25 Ultra to the old S24 Ultra and can help you decide between the Galaxy S25 and S25+.

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Starlink remains best for rural Canada despite falling download speeds

Opensignal released its study comparing Starlink and fixed wireless access (FWA) broadband performance in Canada. The study comes after Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s decision to “pause” all retaliatory measures against the [website], including the cancellation of the $100 million Starlink deal.

Opensignal analyzed the performance of Starlink’s satellite network and FWA’s radio signal-based network across Canada in both urban and rural areas. The study found that Starlink’s performance still outpaces FWA in rural areas, even though FWA performance improved and Starlink performance declined over the last six months.

The investigation highlights the Canadian government’s ‘High-Speed Access for All’ initiative, which aims to connect 98 percent of the population to high-speed internet by 2026 and achieve 100 percent coverage by 2030. As of March 2024, the government says almost 94 percent of Canadians had access to high-speed internet — defined by the CRTC as providing speeds of at least 50Mbps download and 10Mbps upload.

Currently, Starlink is meeting those target speeds, with average download speeds reaching more than 50Mbps and average upload speeds exceeding 10Mbps. FWA falls slightly short, with download speeds reaching 37Mbps on average and upload speeds of 8Mbps on average.

Opensignal’s research highlights that stability matters more than speed for most consumers. The organization measures this through its “Consistent Quality” metric, which assesses a network’s reliability when supporting activities on a single device, such as HD video streaming, video calls, and online gaming.

During Opensignal’s user experience comparison during two 90-day periods, one in February 2024 and the other in August 2024, it found average download speeds on Starklink dropped by 16Mbps while FWA remained consistent. FWA outperformed Starlink in “Consistent Quality” in most provinces.

While Starlink may be the best choice today for rural Canadians, expanding FWA infrastructure and investing in alternatives like Telesat Lightspeed could offer long-term solutions, reducing reliance on foreign providers — especially amid uncertainties in [website] trade relations.

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Leaked official Pixel 9a cases confirm the loss of Google’s camera bar design [Gallery]

Through early leaks of the Pixel 9a’s design, it’s been obvious that Google is making a big change to its well-known camera bar and, now, the latest leaks show off the case which all but confirms the removal of the recognizable design element.

As shared by Android Authority, images of Google’s official Pixel 9a cases help to cement the design of the corporation’s next mid-range release. It has the same general shape and look as the current Pixel 9 series, with a “G” logo in the center and colors that match the rest of the series. The inside of the case has a microfiber finish.

But what’s readily apparent is that the camera cutout on this case is aligned to the left side of the case, rather than spanning the entire width as found on the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL. That’s because the camera bar is not on place on this device, as previous leaks have shown.

Another leak this week offered a view from the front, revealing a glimpse of the bezels.

These cases are also shown in four colors – pink, black, purple, and white. These likely align to previously-leaked color names including “Peony,” “Obsidian,” “Iris,” and “Porcelain.” We haven’t heard any further details on these names, but they all align with Google’s usual marketing names.

What do you think of Google’s next mid-range device so far?

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