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
The Motorola Razr Fold looks like a pretty exciting new foldable, and impressive as Motorola’s first book-style entry. Its release date has been a mystery, but Motorola is now teasing Razr Fold pre-orders than start in just a couple of weeks.
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Roughly a year after the effort was announced, the Apple-developed coding language, Swift, has just launched support for Android.
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As Meta continues to double down on smart glasses, the company is apparently gearing up to launch a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses that are specifically designed for those who already wear prescription glasses.
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Amazon this week announced a new collection of Ring Doorbell models that include upgrade 4K and 2K video on battery-powered hardware, something Google has yet to do in its Nest lineup.
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OnePlus has confirmed that it is moving to an online-first focus in India, with retail efforts largely being shuttered amid a global shutdown expected on the horizon.
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Android always has an Easter egg with each new version buried in the Settings menu, but something different is happening this year, with each new beta release tweaking the Android 17 logo just a little bit, and maybe hinting at something bigger in the pipeline.
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The latest data reveals that, roughly a month into sales, Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are a massive hit, and that’s likely in part because they’re a product that deserves your attention.
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Google is adding a new option in Android 17 Beta 3 that gives users granular control over which apps can be forced into “Expanded” dark theme modes.
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Google has released Android 17 in beta for Pixel devices, skipping the usual Developer Preview given the arrival of new Canary builds, and you can install it now. Here’s how.
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As is the case on the Pixel 10 series, the newly rolling out ability to send files via Apple’s AirDrop on the Galaxy S26 series is quick and easy – “it just works.”
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The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro might be one of my personal favorite phones of 2026 thus far, and ahead of its official release date tomorrow, the device is apparently already a hit of sorts.
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Nomad, best known for its Apple accessories, has been dipping its toes into the Android world as of late with products such as a premium Pixel Watch band that launched last year. Now, Nomad is following up with an Android version of its “Tracking Card Air” that works with Google’s Find Hub app.
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Now that RCS works between Android and iPhone, it’s become a more important tool for everyone, and the next major update to the RCS Universal Profile has just been announced with major additions, including video call support.
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After months in beta on the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung’s One UI 8.5 update is now expanding to a host of other Galaxy devices including foldables, last-gen flagships, mid-rangers, and more.
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Google’s launch of Gemini on Android Auto has been oddly messy, with the “gradual” rollout having started around four months ago at this point and, still, a bunch of users saying they’re missing the feature. So, do you have it?
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A few days into the rollout, Samsung is expanding AirDrop support over Quick Share to Galaxy S26 series devices in the US market.
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Walmart is preparing new Google TV products including a set top box, likely a sequel to Onn 4K Pro, as well as TV sets powered by Google’s platform.
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Samsung just announced its new mid-range Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A57 phones and they’re coming to the US, but with a starting price of $449, the Pixel 10a, or even the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro, might be more worthwhile.
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Google first started rolling out a redesigned media player on Android Auto earlier this year with a squiggly Material 3 Expressive look, but it’s been slow to reach everyone. As of this week, though, it appears to have been launched a bit more widely.
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The new OnePlus 15T packs a huge battery into a phone the size of Google’s Pixel 10, but it’s sadly only launching in China – something we’ll probably be saying about most OnePlus devices going forward.
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Samsung has another book-style foldable in the works this year, with the “Wide” Galaxy Z Fold model now leaking with its shorter and wider design in tow.
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Some Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy users have been running into problems with Android Auto as of late, but fixes are now rolling out, Google says.
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OpenAI has announced that its AI video generation app, Sora, is shutting down, and there’s no explanation as to why.
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Samsung will officially start rolling out AirDrop support over Quick Share on Galaxy S26 devices throughout this week and, as it turns out, it will be enabled by default.
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