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
YouTube TV is increasingly popular for live TV, especially thanks to features that make it a better option for sports fans than traditional cable. Now, YouTube TV wants to know what sports features you want to see next.
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Over the course of 2023, Google launched a new Weather app on Pixel phones with a nice new design and some additional features. After extending past Pixel in small tests last year, Google seems to now be making the redesigned Google Weather app widely available on Android.
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Google is rolling out AI Overviews to all Search users in the US and you cannot turn it off. However, you can avoid it. Here’s how.
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According to a new report, Samsung is working to build on its Galaxy Buds with the next release bringing a redesign as well as some AI features.
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After first appearing earlier this year, YouTube once again appears to be rolling out a new redesign for its website that everyone hates.
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Google last week launched the public rollout of AI Overviews in Search and, already, the inevitable has been announced. Ads are coming to AI Overviews.
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As announced at Google I/O 2024, Gemini is now more widely available to users of Gmail, Google Drive, and other Workspace products.
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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Ring may end up being a little more expensive than expected, as new rumored claim the price will match that of the Oura Ring while also including a monthly subscription cost.
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After Google announced the launch of the Find My Device network on Android last month, the first trackers are finally starting to ship to customers.
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According to a new report, Amazon plans to launch an AI-enhanced version of Alexa soon, and it’ll cost users a separate monthly subscription.
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Meta has announced a new update for its Ray-Ban smart glasses which, among other things, includes the ability to directly share content to Instagram Stories without taking out your phone.
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According to new reports, Samsung is planning to exclusively use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in its new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 foldables.
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After beginning to test “1080p Enhanced” earlier this year, YouTube TV now appears to be testing an upgraded 720p quality setting with some users.
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After being teased in China recently, Honor has announced that the Honor 200 series will launch globally during an event in Paris in June.
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The Humane Ai Pin started shipping to customers barely a month ago but, according to a new report, the company is looking to sell itself for as much as $1 billion.
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Losing the TV remote is never fun, but Google TV may be looking to fix that on some devices with the addition of “Find my remote” in newer versions of Android TV OS.
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Android’s Quick Share, formerly Nearby Share, is a fast way to share files and more between devices, but it’s not always perfect. In an apparent process to streamline the process even more, Google appears to be adding support for QR codes in Quick Share on Android.
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Honor is reportedly working on its first foldable flip phone, with the key feature being a huge cover display.
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For the past few generations, the look of Samsung’s book-style foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold has been roughly the same in terms of design. It seems that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will get a new look, though, as a fresh leak has revealed.
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For the past few years, easy volume controls for speaker groups and other Cast devices from Pixel phones has been disabled, but they appear to be returning in the latest Android 15 beta update.
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Last week, OpenAI launched major updates to ChatGPT including a big focus on voice functionality. But, just a few days later, ChatGPT is losing its “Sky” voice option because it sounds a lot like Scarlett Johansson.
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If you’re looking to pick up a Galaxy S24, S24+, or S24 Ultra, Samsung is offering all three with some solid offers this week including twice the storage for free.
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Microsoft has just kicked off a new wave of Windows PCs powered by Snapdragon X Elite, with “Copilot+ PCs” available for pre-order starting today from several brands. Here’s a full list of what’s coming and when.
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Alongside Microsoft’s push for “Copilot+ PCs,” Samsung just announced the Galaxy Book 4 Edge which packs Snapdragon X chips starting at $1,349.
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