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
Samsung’s rollout for One UI 7, the Android 15 update for Galaxy devices, has been slow and heavily delayed, and while a beta is ongoing, the question begs to be asked – is Samsung still bringing the One UI 7 beta to more devices?
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Samsung is kicking off the new year with the launch of its budget-oriented Galaxy A16 in the US, which also offers the most Android updates per dollar compared to anything else on the market.
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Samsung’s Good Lock allows for deep customizations to One UI without the need for root or any other complex mods, but the framework is limited to certain regions, and only accessible via the Galaxy Store. That’s changing in 2025, though, as Good Lock will be coming to the Google Play Store and all countries as Samsung expands the feature alongside One UI 7.
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If you have a car with Android Automotive built-in, you might not think about using phone-projected Android Auto, but a new update to the Polestar 2 does just that in adding wired Android Auto, one of the “most requested features” among drivers of the vehicle.
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It looks like there’s a OnePlus Watch 3 right around the corner, and the latest leaks are revealing some of the new health features of the smartwatch, as well as an upcoming “Pro” model.
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The latest wireless Android Auto adapter, AAWireless TWO, is finally easy to purchase over two months after it first launched, while the original version is officially no longer available.
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Google saw the Pixel brand succeed like never before in 2024, setting the stage for a big year in 2025. Here’s what to expect from Google Pixel as 2025 nears.
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Earlier this year Google added a neat and fun addition to Gboard in its Emoji Kitchen. The feature lets Android users create wacky combinations of different emoji directly on their keyboard, before sending those creations in their favorite apps. Here’s the full list of what’s supported in the Emoji Kitchen, as well as how you can use it on Android, answers about how it works on iOS, and the latest updates to the feature.
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In the latest Android Auto update, Google is widely rolling out a new music players for all apps including the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
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The OnePlus Open stood the test of time and managed to stand out among 2024 foldables despite having launched in 2023, but as we near time for its sequel, we’re all certainly curious to see what’s in store. This week, a new leak claims to reveal the OnePlus Open 2’s design, as well as offering more details on its specs and release date.
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Vibrant smartphone colors aren’t nearly as common as many wish, with most devices often coming in blacks and whites, and plenty of bland offerings beyond that. With its upcoming “blue” for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, though, Samsung might be going for a color that’s so subdued, it just has to be a joke.
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Google’s Circle to Search feature, which first debuted on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices in early 2024, is now coming to the Nothing Phone series with the new Android 15 update that launched this month.
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Samsung is widely expected to host a launch event for the Galaxy S25 series on January 22, with the company reportedly also showing off the Galaxy Ring 2 and its smart glasses at the same event.
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HDR content looks amazing, until it burns your retinas at 11pm in a dark room. Annoyingly, the ability to turn off HDR content on Android devices has been missing, but Samsung is finally providing an option with its One UI 7 update for Galaxy devices.
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Samsung is set to unveil the Galaxy S25 series in just a few weeks and while we’ve seen a lot of leaks so far, new renders posted by dbrand offer the best look yet at the design of the company’s upcoming trio.
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Ahead of its launch in January, OnePlus has detailed a few more points around the hardware of the OnePlus 13, including a new type of vegan leather and how its flat display isn’t really flat.
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Following its monthly update cadence, Samsung is now rolling out its final update of 2024 on Galaxy devices. Here’s the full list of devices with the update available.
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According to a report out of Korea, Samsung is cutting down significantly on its plans for 2025 Galaxy foldables as it reflects on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, which ultimately failed to meet expectations.
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A new report claims that Meta’s next Ray-Ban smart glasses will be adopting a display of some sort, right as Google and Samsung are pushing for Android XR to do the same.
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Apple finally brought RCS support to the iPhone this year, but the company has to manually approve each carrier that supports it. In the latest iOS update, Apple is expanding RCS support to more carriers, but iPhone users on Google Fi are still left waiting.
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According to the latest report out of Korea, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series will see a release date of February 7.
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There were a lot of good smartphones released in 2024, and it’s actually not easy to settle on “the best.” But, for me at least, I struggle to put the Galaxy S24 Ultra at the top of that list.
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A new OnePlus Watch is expected to arrive in the coming months, and according to a new leak, the “OnePlus Watch 3” will bring the rotating crown the last one didn’t. Maybe.
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After crossing 150 free channels available to users earlier this year, Google TV is closing out the year with another handful of additions, many of which are right in time for the holidays.
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