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’s brand-new and quite compelling Google TV Streamer looks like a major improvement, but one feature that’s still missing is support for using Nest speakers for audio output in lieu of something like a soundbar.
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Google today announced the new Google TV Streamer, a set-top box that’s got much more powerful specs than the Chromecast it replaces, and it’s got some serious power under the hood, at least in the context of a streaming device.
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The new Nest Learning Thermostat has arrived after nearly a decade, and with it, another step towards the death of the old Nest app in favor of Google Home. But that’s not your only option.
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A long-awaited feature is coming to Google TV with the release of the company’s new Streamer, a Home Panel that can control your smart home and view live feeds from Nest Cam.
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The most iconic Nest product of all time is the Nest Learning Thermostat, but in the years since Google took over the brand, the product hasn’t seen a refresh, despite being a sore thumb in the modern Google lineup. Now, that’s finally changing.
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The OnePlus Open is, despite nearing its first birthday, still one of the best foldables on the market today. Soon, the device will get an “Apex Edition” upgrade which will double the storage on OnePlus Open as well as delivering “VIP Mode” which improves privacy.
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As we first reported last month, the long-awaited replacement for the Chromecast with Google TV is the “Google TV Streamer,” a set-top box. According to a new report, the Google TV Streamer 4K will cost roughly twice as much as Chromecast, at least in Europe.
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Thanks to a treasure trove’s worth of leaks, we know pretty much everything there is to know about the Pixel 9 series, including that it will see some price hikes, making the main three phones more expensive. Why is that?
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First launched in June, Zynga’s Star Wars Hunters has been a well-received and pretty fun multiplayer title, but the game has been blocking Android foldables such as the Galaxy Z Fold series since day one, and insists on going out of its way to do so.
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Digital passes are helpful, but they don’t apply to everything. But, with some help from AI, Google Wallet can now turn virtually any document into a digital pass.
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For years I’ve been fairly envious of the utility of Apple’s AirTag trackers, but I waited in hope for Google to bring the same thing to Android. That finally happened earlier this year, but Google missed the mark on Android’s Find My Device so greatly that, at this point, I’m just going to buy more AirTags instead.
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Ford is now shipping the 2025 Explorer to customers and to dealerships, with the vehicle being the first Ford with the new Android Automotive-based infotainment experience.
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While its launch is said to be delayed, a recently detailed changelog claims to include all of the changes Samsung is set to make in its One UI 7 update on top of Android 15.
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We know basically everything there is to know about the Pixel 9 series at this point, including the Fold, thanks to an extensive series of leaks. Now, a leaked photo of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold shows off the foldable in the wild for the first time, complete with Google’s official case.
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If you’re running in a car with wired Android Auto but wish you could use a faster charger or even just not plug the phone in every time, you probably want a wireless adapter. And, right now, there are some good discounts available, alongside improvements to these products that have come over time.
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Following the tablet’s launch earlier this year, Samsung is now announcing a “Kids Edition” of the Galaxy Tab A9+, offering a protective design and enhanced software so parents can feel safer when handing their kids a tablet.
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The mountain of Pixel leaks continues to grow ahead of Google’s August 13 event, and now we’ve got a new video of the Pixel Watch 3 series that shows off the hardware, features, and confirms that the charger isn’t changing this time around.
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Years into Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series, there’s still one aspect of the software that rubs me the wrong way, and it’s how Samsung chooses to handle notifications – by turning the vast majority of them off by default.
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Voice commands are a key part of Android Auto, but some users have noticed lately that trying to start a call through Google Assistant isn’t working as it’s supposed to.
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According to Samsung, the Galaxy S25 will bring some possibly-big updates to the display and camera, of course accompanied by more of a focus on AI.
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TV sets, boxes, and dongles are very often forgotten when it comes to updates, including when Android is under the hood. Walmart, to its credit, continues to be incredibly, unexpectedly good at updating its Android TV and Google TV devices.
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The foldable wars are on, and Samsung continues to face tougher competition. And, according to leaks, one of its biggest competitors in the US will be Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which will be bigger, brighter, and much thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
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While it was once one of the worst at reliably putting out updates, Samsung is now one of the most consistent Android makers when it comes to frequent software updates. Keeping with that, here’s which Galaxy devices have picked up the July 2024 security update from Samsung.
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The Pixel Watch 3 series is finally set to introduce a larger size, but that’s going to come at a cost. According to a new leak, the Pixel Watch 3 series will start at the same price, but the bigger model will see a price near $400.
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