Ben Schoon is a Senior Editor at 9to5Google, working for the publication as one of its primary news writers since 2016.
In 2013, Ben helped start an independent tech publication where he learned the skills used at 9to5Google including writing, product photography, and videography. He is located in the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina where he lives with his wife Melissa. Ben is an avid disc golf player.
He primarily covers Android products, including Google Pixel devices, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, as well as devices from OnePlus, Oppo, Motorola, and more. Beyond just covering news about these products, Ben also spends time using these products himself, speaking from experience with the articles he writes. Some of Ben’s most recent hands-on reviews include; Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Motorola Razr+, HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, and more.
Ben is also a leading source for information about Google’s Android TV, diving deeply into important parts of the platform including its powerful Operator Tier, explaining future changes to the platform, and reviewing its products such as Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield TV, and more.
In 2019, Ben leaked one of the first in-person photos of the Pixel 4 before later revealing the Recorder and Pixel Themes apps months ahead of launch. In 2020, Ben also reported on multiple upcoming Pixel devices including Pixel 5a and the first report of Google working on a foldable Pixel smartphone. That same month, he was also the first to correctly report the $49 price point of what became the Chromecast with Google TV.
Ben Schoon is active on Twitter, @nexusben, but can also be found on Instagram and LinkedIn. For questions or tips, you can email him directly, and his portfolio is also available online.
Email: schoon@9to5mac.com | Encrypted Email: benschoon@protonmail.com
Google quietly revealed last week that it is adding an option for users to change their Gmail address and it seems a lot of people are excited, but will you change yours?
Expand Expanding Close
The Nothing Phone series has delivered some of my favorite phones of the past few years, with a refreshing but familiar take on Android and smartphone hardware in general, and it’s all culminated in the Nothing Phone (3). I think it’s safe to say this was one of the most polarizing phones of 2025, and it’s also one that I think will serve as a bit of a make-or-break moment for Nothing.
Expand Expanding Close
Over the holidays, dbrand has introduced a neat new skin design called “Sketch 2D” that turns your Pixel 10 – and a bunch of other devices – into a real-life cartoon.
Expand Expanding Close
The PayPal-owned extension Honey has been revealed for various shady practices over the past year, and in a new video, it’s detailed that the extension knowingly broke affiliate rules, effectively frauding networks, all while the extension continues to lose users.
Expand Expanding Close
Ahead of CES 2026, LG has announced its new “Gallery TV” which is designed to take on Samsung’s popular “The Frame.”
Expand Expanding Close
After being announced a few months ago, Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon X2 Elite chips for Windows are set to launch in new Windows laptops launching at CES 2026 next week.
Expand Expanding Close
As a part of the December 2025 update, Nothing Phone (3) is picking up a bunch of fixes, including a couple of improvements to its rear-display “Glyph Toys.”
Expand Expanding Close
The Galaxy Tab A11+ just went official and it actually seems like a pretty decent Android tablet for its $250 price tag.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung just announced its latest budget Android phone, the Galaxy A17, with a mere $199 price tag and a whopping 6 years of Android updates.
Expand Expanding Close
Oppo appears to be building out another new foldable for 2026, with the Find N6 set to deliver a camera upgrade while also addressing some other key specs.
Expand Expanding Close
While the launch date is a fair bit later this year, leaks continue to detail Samsung’s plans for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series. In the latest leak, we’re getting a better look at the hardware and how the Galaxy S26 design is changing.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung hasn’t been particularly quiet about its coming Perplexity partnership, and now we’re getting a first look at the Bixby reboot powered by the AI service.
Expand Expanding Close
Not long after it started rolling out, Samsung seems to have paused the rollout of its latest – and possibly final – Galaxy Watch 4 update due to some issues.
Expand Expanding Close
OnePlus has officially shown off its new “Turbo 6” series of gaming phones while confirming monstrous 9,000 mAh batteries being used in the devices.
Expand Expanding Close
As the three-year anniversary of Stadia’s death approaches, the final “active” part of Google’s short-lived venture into cloud gaming appears to be going away, as the controller conversion tool appears to actually be going offline this week.
Expand Expanding Close
According to a new report, fluctuating costs have left Samsung struggling to finalize pricing for the upcoming Galaxy S26 series, all while the company is losing money every time it sells a Galaxy Z TriFold.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung has announced plans to bring Google Photos support to its TVs, and it sounds a lot like what we already see on Google TV.
Expand Expanding Close
As crucial as Android Auto and CarPlay have become to daily driving, the core problem remains. Wired connections charge your phone slowly, and wireless drains your battery quickly. That’s where the “PDFriender” steps in as a clever little solution.
Expand Expanding Close
If you just got a new Google Pixel smartphone, there are a few key accessories you should get right away. Here are our recommendations.
Expand Expanding Close
Just got a new Android smartphone for the holidays? If it’s your first one, it could be a little intimidating, so to get you started, here are a few apps you should immediately install or set up on a new Android device. Alternatively, if you’re not already using these apps, it might be time to give them a shot!
Expand Expanding Close
On a Google support page, the company says it is rolling out a new option to let users change their email address even if it is an “@gmail.com” address.
Expand Expanding Close
OnePlus has already confirmed its plans to launch a new “Turbo” series of devices, and a leak offers up a first look at the new design that’s… not really what we expected.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung’s brand new Galaxy Z TriFold form factor has arrived and, of course, one of the big questions around it is whether or not it’s actually durable. One YouTube channel put that to the test, finding that the device sort of gave up quite a bit shy of Samsung’s promise.
Expand Expanding Close
Nvidia is implementing a somewhat tight limit on cloud gaming via its GeForce Now service starting on January 1, 2026, where almost all of its users will be restricted to playing 100 hours per month before additional fees kick in.
Expand Expanding Close