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
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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Samsung just launched its first 3nm chip in the Galaxy Watch 7 and Watch Ultra, and it has its sights on using the same process to launch the Exynos 2500 chip for “flagship products” such as the Galaxy S25 series.
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The OnePlus Open is still the best foldable available to US smartphone buyers and, while its sequel is delayed into next year, the device is getting a gorgeous new “Crimson Shadow” red color variant.
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Google’s Pixel Watch 3 series will once again expand the company’s lineup of straps and bands, and through early leaks we’re getting a first look at the new color options.
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Durability is perhaps the single biggest concern around foldables and, in a new test, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a slightly worrying durability concern.
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Android tablets are often overlooked for software shortcomings, but things have certainly come a long way. As of this week, the OnePlus Pad 2 is now available for purchase as one of the best Android tablets money can buy, and it also brings Android’s best split-screen system for apps along with it.
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Available this Summer in Paris, Google Maps is using AR to help give you a trip back in time to see the history of the city and some of its iconic landmarks.
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Google’s upcoming Tensor G4 chip was never going to be a major upgrade, especially as it’s just a final stop-gap before the arrival of fully custom Tensor chips produced through TSMC. But that doesn’t mean it can’t have a meaningful boost for users, and it seems that will come in the form of improved battery consumption and heat through a better modem within the Pixel 9 series.
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As Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series lags behind the rest of the industry in terms of shaving thickness off of a foldable, Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold, merely its second-generation device, will be launching as one of the thinnest foldables in the world next month.
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After ripping lyrics away from its free (ad-supported) users last year, Spotify has announced that they’re coming back, but with a monthly limit in place.
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Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch 3 is bringing new features and hardware upgrades, but also new minimum requirements, as you’ll need a slightly newer Android phone to use it.
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Alongside today’s debut of the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, the company is also showing off one of its first AI software upgrades, with the “News Reporter” widget coming to all Nothing and CMF smartphones soon.
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When “Nothing” hit the scene a few years back, many were curious to know how the company settled on its quirky branding. A few years and a few phones later, we finally have the answer in the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, a device that, for lack of a better description, seems entirely pointless.
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We’re likely just a couple of weeks away from the launch of Android 15, at least if we’re assuming new Pixels run on it, and as such, we wanted to take a quick look at how the distribution numbers stand in 2024.
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As the leaks continue, we’re today getting new details about Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch 3 including a better look at the display’s thinner bezels, new features for Google apps, and more.
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Fitness is a key focus of Google’s Pixel Watch series, and now a new leak reveals new Fitbit features for Pixel Watch 3, including a heavy focus on running metrics and tracking.
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Following a metric ton of leaks and rumors, Samsung’s first Android 15 beta missed its first scheduled release date, with the debut of One UI 7 now being thought to be as far as almost a month away from launch.
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Starting back in 2020, Google Maps and Search gained the ability to show the boundaries of nearby wildfires. Now, support for wildfire info in Google Maps and Search is expanding to more countries through Europe and Africa.
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