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 Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a complete redesign with a new, wider form factor that’s going to be fascinating to see in real life. And, would you look at that, there’s the Galaxy Z Fold 8, in real life.
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It’s anything but wide at this point, but we’re finally seeing signs of Android Auto rolling out support for a live speedometer.
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Google’s official Pixel Watch bands are expensive, but they’ve been on sale relatively frequently, this time around with select bands starting as low as around $10.
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OnePlus is dead – actually for real this time. It’s got me looking back on my experiences with the brand’s smartphones, the absolute roller coaster that it was, and how OnePlus briefly sparked joy in a way that no one else way, resulting in two of my favorite Android phones of all time. And dang it, I’m a little sad now.
9to5Google Weekender by Ben Schoon is a part of our free newsletter that also includes ‘Inbox,’ a twice-weekly roundup of key stories from around the web by Daniel Bader. Sign up here to get Weekender delivered to your inbox every Sunday along with ‘Inbox’ on Tuesday and Thursday. You can find past issues here.
As expected, Samsung is switching its new Galaxy Watch 9 over to a Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon Wear Elite, as some new images confirm.
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Signal, the encrypted messaging app, is adding support for adding a second device without a second phone number, starting with a new beta release on Android.
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While the smartphone market as a whole is struggling right now, there are some bright spots. Google Pixel is managing to grow on the global market, but India in particular is doing well, as Pixel and Nothing are the two fastest-growing brands in the region.
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The Redmagic Astra 2 is official for the global market, with US pricing now confirmed, but a release date that won’t land until August.
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The Google Contacts app is making it a little bit easier to find your own number on Android, with a new “Your info” card that mirrors longstanding functionality over on iPhone, while also just being massively convenient for users.
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A widespread outage on July 15 has broken device sync for “all” Google Health users.
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Motorola is pretty bad at software updates, with new Android versions delayed by months and devices often getting the bare minimum of support. And it’s not getting much better, as a new release shows just how confusing it is to understand what Motorola is and is not promising.
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Amid Oppo’s restructuring plans that have led to the shutdown of OnePlus in global markets, Realme has officially confirmed it will exit the China market to focus on global markets instead.
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Amid RAMageddon, the global smartphone market is in a rough state. Despite hitting its lowest point since 2013, Google Pixel is apparently one of the few brands seeing growth in 2026 according to the latest data.
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The EU has ordered Google to crack open Android and Search to its rivals including other AI assistants, but Google warns that it’s a privacy risk.
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OnePlus is effectively dead in most of the world, but software updates will continue. They just won’t be the same, as OxygenOS is going away and will instead be replaced by ColorOS.
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The end is here. OnePlus has officially announced that it is shutting down operations in the US and Europe and has detailed what’s happening next.
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Alongside plenty of other Samsung leaks, a new report offers up the full details of the Galaxy Z Flip 8, and there’s a reason nobody is particularly excited about this one.
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Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro box with Google TV has proven rather elusive, but a relatively big restock has just landed for the $59 streamer.
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The final sticking point in the long-running Google vs Epic Games lawsuit is coming to an end, as Google is opening the door to third-party app stores on Android starting on July 22.
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If you had any doubts left regarding the end of OnePlus in Europe and the US, another report is stepping in with further confirmation, details on Oppo’s plans in these regions, and also the end of Realme in China.
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As its new redesign rolls out, Samsung Health is also forcing users into a choice – let their data be used for AI training, or make it effectively unusable in the long term.
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As Samsung’s event nears, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 leaks keep on coming, this morning with a full breakdown of the specs of Samsung’s new foldables.
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Folks, it finally happened. Someone other than Google has finally put Qi2 magnets in an Android phone with Motorola’s new Edge 70 Max.
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Ahead of their debut in just over a week, yet another leak details the full specs of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2.
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