Amazon will soon launch 27 low-Earth orbit satellites as part of its Project Kuiper. The original launch window was set for Wednesday between 7 and 9 p.m. ET (4 to 6 p.m. PT), but poor weather forced the rocket launch to be scrubbed for the day.

«Weather is observed and forecast NO GO for liftoff within the remaining launch window at Cape Canaveral this evening, according to Launch Weather Officer Brian Belson,» United Launch Alliance said in its live updates Wednesday night. «The stubborn cumulus clouds and persistent winds make liftoff not possible within the available window.»

There’s no word yet on when it’ll be rescheduled, but there’s a mission page for updates on the launch and plans to livestream the takeoff. You can watch the rocket launch live on that page or YouTube.

The launch mission, KA-01 or Kuiper Atlas 1, will be on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket and will take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

It’ll be a big step forward for the project, which Amazon announced in 2019 with promises of a $10 billion investment. Now the company is poised to enter the race to provide satellite internet service, a space currently dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink, which has about 7,000 satellites. Amazon’s plans call for 3,200 satellites to be deployed over 80 launches. The company intends to provide internet service with this technology later this year.

More competition will improve internet services

The literal space race, which includes Starlink, Amazon and other companies such as Viasat, Hughesnet, Eutelsat and China’s SpaceSail, could mean more internet service availability in far-flung and rural areas with limited broadband options. Though Starlink is the leader in space, some of these other companies are continuing to launch satellites and working to deploy high-speed internet in more markets, such as Brazil. With more players in the market, that could mean faster and cheaper internet in more areas, although whether that actually bears out for consumers remains to be seen.

Mahdi Eslamimehr, executive vice president at Quandary Peak Research and adjunct professor at the Department of Computer Science at USC, said Amazon is well poised to compete with Starlink. «Amazon has made extensive launch agreements with major providers such as ULA, Arianespace, Blue Origin, and even SpaceX itself, positioning Kuiper as a major challenger due to its expansive infrastructure and significant resources.»

He said, «While Starlink currently enjoys clear market leadership, it faces increasing competition from well-capitalized and strategically agile competitors, specifically from China,  suggesting the market will become considerably more competitive in the near future.»

So far, Eslamimehr said, Amazon’s satellite efforts have been promising and successful, at least in the prototype stages. The company has also been testing Amazon Web Services in space. «These developments collectively underscore Amazon’s robust entry into the satellite internet market and reflect positive early momentum in its overall space strategy.»

Beyond how it fares against Starlink and other companies, the Amazon satellite launches are significant in other ways. Eslamimehr said, «Project Kuiper isn’t just about competition; it’s positioned as a critical step toward closing the global digital divide, promising to deliver high-speed internet to underserved communities worldwide.»

Correction, April 4: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the USC professor and Quandary Peak Research executive vice president. His name is Mahdi Eslamimehr.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition might be tough today. But if you’re tuned in to a specific tournament happening this week, the blue category should be easy for you. Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta after making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s app. Or you can continue to play it free online.  

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Whoops!

Green group hint: Hut-hut!

Blue group hint: Fore!

Purple group hint: More than two.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Lose control of the ball.

Green group: Football positions, abbreviated.

Blue group: Masters winners.

Purple group: Triple ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is lose control of the ball. The four answers are bobble, fumble, juggle and muff.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is football positions, abbreviated. The four answers are CB, DT, P and WR.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is Masters winners. The four answers are Couples, Players, Rahm and Woods.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is triple ____. The four answers are A, crown, double and play.

Google’s latest budget phone, the $499 Pixel 9A, is arriving early this year, fresh off the heels of Apple’s «affordable» offering, the $599 iPhone 16E. Very convenient timing. The Pixel 9A will be available in stores on Thursday, starting in the US and UK. 

The Pixel 9A is $300 cheaper than the baseline Pixel 9 and, therefore, scales back a bit when it comes to features like cameras and RAM. However, it maintains other attributes like display size, processor and AI features — and even touts a higher battery capacity than its pricier Pixel counterparts. 

So is the Pixel 9A a good fit for you? Here’s everything to consider. 

Camera and AI considerations 

Being able to take good photos is usually a top priority when buying a new phone since, for most people, their phone is their only camera. The Pixel 9A has two cameras on the back: a 48-megapixel wide and 13-megapixel ultrawide, along with a 13-megapixel front-facing camera. That places the 9A’s rear camera specs below those on the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, but megapixels aren’t the only factor in getting quality shots. (You can check out the spec chart below to see how the cameras compare on these phones.)

The Pixel 9A’s camera supports Macro Focus, meaning you can get closer to your subject — like if you’re snapping a close-up of your delicious meal — and have it be in crisp focus. With the 9A, Google uses the main camera to enable Macro Focus instead of the ultrawide camera, as with many other phones. 

What’s perhaps most notable about the Pixel 9A is the suite of AI editing tools you’ll still have access to, even with that lower price. Features like Magic Editor can help clean up your shots and alter backgrounds, Best Take creates an image where everyone in a group photo looks their best, and Add Me employs AI and augmented reality to incorporate the photographer in the final image.

For people who are curious about the myriad AI features companies are bombarding us with, the Pixel 9A can be a good device for dipping your toes in those waters, hopefully without feeling inundated — and without shelling out too much cash to see what all the buzz is about. I find photo editing tools among the best uses of AI because they eliminate the need for pricey software and let you touch up photos directly on your device, with no special skills needed.

The Pixel 9A’s Design: Google Takes Minimalism to the Extreme

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See all photos

But if you would rather venture deeper into AI territory, the 9A’s still got you covered. You’ll have access to Gemini to help with tasks like writing, brainstorming and carrying out actions across apps. You’ll also get Circle to Search so you can learn more about whatever’s on your screen — a feature upon which I’ve become heavily reliant. Those features are great because they feel like a natural way to ease into AI since they’re so deeply integrated into your device and seamless to use. 

With AI being a staple of almost every new phone, tapping into those capabilities without breaking the bank can be an enticing option for someone who still isn’t sure what the big deal is — and then see if the Pixel 9A changes their mind.

For those who hold onto their phones

While carriers may expect you to upgrade your phone every two years, manufacturers like Google and Samsung have extended the window for software and security upgrades on their phones to seven years. That applies to lower-priced phones like the Pixel 9A as well, giving budget-conscious consumers even more reason to feel like they’ve scored a deal.

Not buying a flagship device can also mean feeling less susceptible to the pressures of upgrades. It’s typically more premium phones — usually with minor tweaks — that are aggressively pushed onto those keen to purchase the latest tech. If simply having a phone with key features is all that matters, then the Pixel 9A can be a good way to dodge all that noise. 

This can also make the Pixel 9A a good option for kids, who probably don’t need the flashiest devices. Features like Family Link allow parents to manage privacy settings, screen time limits and location sharing, and they can also silence notifications and disable apps during school hours. 

The Pixel 9A packs the same Google Tensor G4 processor as the flagship Pixel 9 and 9 Pro but has 8GB of RAM instead of the 12GB and 16GB you’ll get on those premium phones. That should still be more than enough for everyday use, like scrolling through social media, snapping photos and browsing the web. If you’re a heavy mobile gamer, 8GB of RAM might not be ideal, but it won’t be an issue for most people. 

The Pixel 9A’s 6.3-inch OLED display matches up with what you’ll get on the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, so you don’t have to scale back your viewing experience — especially with a 60Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate that should make scrolling seamless. 

And with a 5,100-mAh battery, the Pixel 9A should be able to last you throughout the day. Like the iPhone 16E, the Pixel 9A actually touts a higher battery capacity than its pricier peers, which each have a 4,700-mAh battery. That can also help you feel like you’re getting the most bang for your buck.

What you won’t get with this phone is the Pixel 9’s Satellite SOS feature, which uses satellites to contact emergency services when you’re out of range of a cell signal or Wi-Fi. But if you don’t often find yourself in places without cell service, like on a remote hiking trail, then you hopefully shouldn’t feel its absence. 

With all that in mind, if you have last year’s Pixel 8A, there’s probably not enough reason to upgrade to the 9A, as they share many of the same features, specs and AI capabilities. 

But if you’ve got a Pixel 7A and want to tap into some newer AI features, the 9A might be enticing. Similarly, if you have a Pixel 6A or older, you could see a noticeable improvement in the 9A’s camera, battery life and overall performance. 

And if you’d rather hang tight to your phone and keep stretching your dollar, more power to you.