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 Northern Lights have been visible in huge portions of the Northern Hemisphere due to stronger geomagnetic storms. Here’s how to take a picture of the Northern Lights using a Google Pixel smartphone or other Android devices.
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New findings reveal that, months after launch, Google might be expanding on the Pixel 10’s Magic Cue feature by adding support for information from Tasks and Wallet.
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The display crease has been a sticking point on Samsung’s folding Galaxy phones for years, but the company recently showed off a new tech that seems to fix it. According to a new report, a key part of that is a second layer of ultra-thin glass.
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Google Chrome has made a test of its new vertical tabs feature available, and you can try it out for yourself pretty easily.
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LumaFusion is perhaps one of the best video editor apps on Android, and a new update is now rolling out with improvements to transitions as well as other welcome tweaks.
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Google announced changes to Android app sideloading last year that would require developer verification as a safety measure, but the company somewhat backtracked with a solution for “experienced users” that would allow for installs without verification. Google is now doing some early prep work on the “Install without verifying” flow, which Google itself calls “high friction.”
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Asus has reiterated that it will “no longer” be making “new” Android smartphones with its focus shifting towards the market built up by AI.
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Another new Pixel 10a leak spills Google’s launch plans while also confirming that prior pricing information wasn’t giving the full story.
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Google has launched a new YouTube TV offer that not only gives customers a 10-day free trial, but drops the price by over $20 for their first two months of service.
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Smartphone accessories aren’t just add-ons, they’re a huge part of the experience of using and owning your device. But, for Android users, it’s often felt like we’re getting the short end of the stick, with a whole world of accessories that only ever seem to care about the iPhone. Finally, though, that feels like it’s changing.
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OpenAI today announced the inevitable, that ChatGPT will start showing ads in your queries, and they’re pretty prominent too.
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One big trend in Android in recent years has been positioning self-proclaimed “flagship killer” smartphones at a lower price point by dropping down to a last-gen or step-down chipset. With its new Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 chipsets, MediaTek is looking to power those devices.
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Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have taken the world by storm over the past few years, but they’re pretty limited in terms of what they can actually do. The new “Mentra Live” smart glasses offer a lot of the same benefits as Ray-Ban Meta, but with an app store and more integrations, including support for YouTube livestreams.
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The future of ChromeOS is a bit messy at the moment, with Google’s exact plans for the future of Chromebooks and a new Android base being somewhat of a mystery. In a new interview, though, a Google VP offers a bit of information around future support for ChromeOS as we know it today, as well as what owners can expect in regards to whether or not they’ll be able upgrade.
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The Walmart Onn 4K Pro box is one of the best Google TV devices available today, but it’s also due for a sequel and, right on cue, stock for the existing model is starting to run low.
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According to a fairly reliable source, Google’s Pixel 10a prices aren’t all that different from last year, but they could somehow going down.
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Verizon customers across the country were taken offline yesterday as a massive network outage cut out cell service entirely for many customers for several hours, but Verizon says that “account credits” will be sent out to those affected.
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Verizon customers are seeing a widespread service outage that has taken down cell service across huge parts of the United States.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series is oddly just about as popular in recent weeks as it was back when it first launched, something that’s not been true of any Galaxy S series in the past several generations.
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According to a new report, Samsung’s upcoming Android XR glasses will have a 12MP camera on board, and might offer some form of multiple variants.
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Samsung’s new Galaxy Z TriFold looks incredible – all the more so in person – but also came with the obvious question of durability. And, right on cue, one early Galaxy Z TriFold buyer has had their display spontaneously break, but that shouldn’t really be a surprise.
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With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung killed off support for the S Pen stylus for the sake of thinness, and now everyone else is suddenly rushing to add the feature to upcoming foldables.
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According to a new report, Google is moving not only the production, but development of (most) Pixel phones out of China going forward and over to Vietnam.
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As all attention moves over to Gemini, the experience of Google Assistant just continues to crumble, and that’s getting especially bad for Android Auto users as of late.
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