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 Pixel 10a has arrived and, as per usual, boosted trade-in values are among the best way to score a discount, and Google has some solid values in store for Pixel 4a owners.
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The writing has been on the wall for a while now, with Nothing Phone (4a) expected to see a price hike. Now, a new report nails down the pricing right as the core specs have leaked.
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Samsung is continuing its Galaxy S26 teasers with a new post highlighting “an end-to-end” camera experience that’s brighter and easier than ever.
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If you’re trying to access YouTube right now and running into problems, you’re not alone, as a widespread outage appears to be affecting YouTube and, to a lesser extent, YouTube TV.
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Amazon announced a new UI for Fire TV last month that, at the very least, seems heavily inspired by Google TV. Now, it’s actively rolling out in the US.
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Samsung has been teasing the Galaxy S26 series for the past couple of weeks on social media, and while there are some hints of good things such as the new “Privacy Display” and apparent low-light video upgrades, it’s hard to care when it’s surrounded by a ton of absolute AI slop.
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Biometrics are a core part of any smartphone nowadays, and Google Pixel is one of the few brands that balances both fingerprint and face unlock properly. But it seems Google wants to take things a step further on Pixel, with a new “Project Toscana” in the works that includes new face unlock hardware for phones and even Chromebooks, which is said to be comparable to iPhone’s Face ID in performance.
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There are a lot of reasons to use a cloud backup service like Google Photos, but one of the many perks is the ability to access your full library of photos from any device. However, a sync bug with Google Photos that’s affecting a number of users has left that ability partially broken.
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After Samsung killed all of the other upgrades that were set to make the Galaxy S26 series even a little bit exciting, the one leftover element is the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s “Privacy Display.” As teasers continue, screenshots show off how you’ll be able to use the feature, including its automatic triggers and granular options.
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Apple yesterday confirmed an event where it’s expected to launch new devices, and Nothing is poking fun at that by revealing its own March 5 launch event to debut the Phone (4a) series.
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Apple’s latest iOS 26.4 beta is now available for iPhone owners, with an added perk for RCS messaging – end-to-end encryption. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t work with Android yet.
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Google has started rolling out Android Auto 16.3 through the beta track and while there are no major changes, there are a couple of hints at what’s to come, including the arrival of video apps.
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A new leak reveals Xiaomi’s plans for the launch of the Xiaomi 17 series in Europe, but with one of the most interesting versions missing.
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A number of YouTube users are reporting missing comments and video descriptions, and it appears to be yet another result of the continued war on ad blockers.
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One of the few actual upgrades coming to the Galaxy S26 series is the “Privacy Display” expected to launch on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and in continued teasers, Samsung seems to know exactly how you’ll be using it.
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Google’s Pixel 10a is set to launch on February 18 – just a couple of days from now – and now a carrier leak is reaffirming a few core specs for the upcoming mid-range smartphone.
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One of the key marketing points of the Apple AirTag is “Precision Finding,” which shows you the precise location of your tracker beyond what Bluetooth is capable of. That’s accomplished using UWB, but that feature is also missing from the vast majority of Android Find Hub trackers, and there are a few key reasons why.
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One of the first things cut on budget phones is often long-term software support –I’m looking at you Motorola –, but that’s not the case with Samsung’s Galaxy A17, which is promised six years of Android OS updates. But, can anyone actually use this $199 phone for that long?
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The Motorola Razr FIFA edition was announced earlier this year ahead of the World Cup, and it’s now available for purchase with some perks.
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Sony’s WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones are, put simply, phenomenal, and now they’re launching in a new “Sand Pink” colorway.
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Quick Share, Google’s version of AirDrop for Android, seems to be moving towards the removal of its always-on “Everyone” sharing mode, moving closer to iOS.
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Google has confirmed a Pixel 10a launch on February 18, and now a detail list of the phone’s specs have leaked, showing exactly how it differs – and how it doesn’t – from the Pixel 9a.
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YouTube is running a test where you might not get notifications for a channel even if you’ve subscribed for “all” notifications.
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Despite being rumored to use the same battery size, Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a might just have slightly improved battery life.
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