Looking at this week’s news and titles in the Android world, including the launch of Pixel 9a, the Galaxy S26 Ultra upgrade, Google Tensor Mobile Plans, Pixel 9 Pro Sales, nothing phone (3A), the new Qualcomm game snapdragon and the free games of the EPIC store.
Android Circuit is there to remind you of some of the many discussions around Android in the last seven days. You can also read my Apple News weekly digests here on Forbes.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Google Lance Pixel 9a
With a new flat back design offering no camera bump, no camera bump and a new macro mode, the Google pixel 9a is embarking on the mid -range space with a price of $ 499 and an attractive offer in terms of software and hardware protection:
“With more than 30 hours of battery life and more than 100 hours with an extreme battery saving, Pixel 9A has the best battery life of all the pixels available today. It also comes with seven years of operating system, safety updates and pixel drops, and its resistance to water and IP68 dust means that it can resist spills, droplets and drops.
Galaxy S26 Ultra Camera upgrades
Artificial intelligence, whether automatic learning, generating AI or other techniques – was a key element in manufacturers’ messaging around smartphones photography in 2023 and 2024; He seems likely to remain a hot topic in 2025. But next year? Samsung may seek to put the emphasis on physical changes with the reintroduction of a variable opening lens for the main camera:
“The Galaxy S26 Ultra would not have many competitors in this space. Variable opening objectives can be found on certain Huawei and Xiaomi smartphones, but Samsung could make much more marketing noise if the S26 Ultra had to transport this key characteristic.”
(Forbes).
Pixel 10 tensor chips move to Taiwan
Google is expected to launch its new Pixel 10 family at the end of the summer. One of the most important changes should not be visible for consumers. The Tensor Mobile G5 chipset will be the first of the mobile chipsets to be made by TSMC rather than Samsung:
“The tensor G5 will be assembled not by Samsung Foundry (like all the previous tensor G chipsets) but by the Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company.
(Forbes).
Sales Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL
Less than a week before the sale of Pixel 9A, the Google store has offered significant discounts on the current Pixel 9 family. They should stay on the middle of next week, according to rumors, the launch date of the mid -range Pixel 9a:
“You will find that the sale, which takes place until 11:59 p.m., the Pacific on Saturday March 29, 2025, is located through the four colors of Pixel 9 Pro, that is to say in porcelain, pink quartz, hazelnut and obsidian. Choose the storage model of 128 GB for $ 799, 256 GB for $ 899, 512 GB for 1,249.
(Forbes).
Nothing phone (3a) pro review
Nothing from the mid -range mid -range smartphone, the Pro telephone (3A) Pro was launched alongside the phone (3A) last week. Critics are coming now and they approach the key question of what makes the pro and the pro? The answer is a key difference in the camera:
“The Nothing (3A) Pro telephone has a third 3X camera periscope in the back, while the Vanilla phone (3A) must be satisfied with a regular 2X 2X ziper. Of course, there are design differences at the back of the two phones, but that’s about it.
(GSM Arena).
Snapdragon for the game has a problem
Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2. It focuses on weaker game devices, mainly marketed in the form of “retro consoles”. The labor computer comes from a known retailer in space. The classic of the Retroid pocket echoes the style of vertical handsets such as the Gameboy color, but unlike the rest of the Retroid range, the Snapdragon chip is disadvantaged:
“However, there is a disadvantage of the new chipset. Android Authority confirmed with Qualcomm that the Snapdragon G1 Gen2 does not take care of the video, which explains one of the strangest omissions of the new device. This will be the first device that retroids have ever shipped without video, and this can be a major aspect of the new budget chipset.”
And finally …
The free weekly game of Epic Games Store has enabled countless office users to build an impressive game library (and allowed developers to bring new players to franchies such as Grand Theft Auto online with “the free offer”). Now the free weekly game has been extended to the mobile:
“From today, we will have new, great games on the Epic game store every week on mobile. We are launching this with Super Meat Boy Forever and Eastern Exorcist *, both available for free until March 27 on mobile.”
The Android circuit brings together news from the Android world every weekend here on Forbes. Do not forget to follow me to miss any coverage in the future, and of course, read the sister column in Apple loop! Last week’s Android circuit can be found here, and if you have news and links that you would like to see in Android Circuit, contact yourself!
