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
Perhaps the most useful thing about the new Google TV platform is the ability to aggregate and organize content from a variety of different sources. Which ones, though? Here’s a full list of streaming services and apps that Google TV supports.
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Through its website this week, Nothing has confirmed plans to launch a new “open” audio product on September 24.
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Following the death of Nest Secure, strong integration between ADT and Google promised to be a replacement. The original system wasn’t, but now that we’ve had a chance to try the new one, we’re glad to see that ADT now supports proper Google Home integration.
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Since Wear OS’ reboot a few years ago, the variety of hardware the platform once experienced has partially vanished, but that may change as Google is building a new “reference platform” for Wear OS with the help of a company with a notable background.
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After launching on the company’s new foldables earlier this year, Samsung started rolling out the One UI 6.1.1 update to older devices earlier this month. But, as of today, the floodgates have officially opened, with One UI 6.1.1 now rolling out to several more Galaxy devices.
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The Nest Protect smoke detector is one of the few products that hasn’t been renewed under Google’s umbrella, and beyond that it hasn’t even been integrated into this new era, as it still doesn’t really work in the Google Home app, but there’s finally some progress.
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According to a new report, Google has plans for five new Pixel phones in 2025, unsurprisingly including a Pixel 9a and another batch of Pixel 10 devices.
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As the foldable space continues to heat up and see more compelling hardware, prices are sure to come down, right? That doesn’t seem to be the case with launch pricing, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open are both deeply discounted at the moment, offering a more affordable way to get on an Android foldable.
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Flappy Bird is coming back, but the game increasingly seems like a cash grab as the original creator has confirmed he has nothing to do with it, and crypto ties in the game are becoming abundantly clear.
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After the app launched on Google TV last year, The Roku Channel is also now integrated into Google TV’s search tools.
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If you were hoping to pick up a Pixel Watch 3 and score a discount by trading in an older model, trade-in values have unfortunately dried up as launch boosts have disappeared.
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After two generations focused on a smaller size, the Pixel Watch 3 finally introduces a larger 45mm size into the picture, and I can’t quite decide how I feel about it.
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After adding a few more new channels recently, Google TV has started rolling out “Freeplay” as a new home for its free, ad-supported TV channels.
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The Google Home app is working on a few new features including a “Vacation” mode that we don’t know much about, but has some intriguing possibilities.
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Google appears to be toying with a new take on notification icons in the status bar which, instead of the current look, would use the full-color app icons from your Android homescreen.
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As Samsung’s design trends continue, the Galaxy S25’s look is exactly how you’d expect it to be as a new leak reveals.
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Years after they were introduced and then removed from previous versions of Android, the latest beta for Android 15 QPR1 has arrived and brings back lock screen widget support, at least for tablets. Here’s how it works.
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After its brief but incredibly viral release a decade ago, Flappy Bird is making its return in 2025.
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Following a plethora of recent leaks, Samsung is apparently preparing to launch the Galaxy Tab S10 series sooner than we thought, with the release date right around the corner.
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Sideloading is one of the things that makes Android what it is, but it can also easily be abused. To help protect users, Google is making some adjustments in Android 15 that further restrict what a malicious app could do when sideloaded onto a device, but also what users can do with these apps too.
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A strange bug is causing the Google Home app to not send notifications on Google Pixel 9 series devices for some users.
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Running beta software is always opening the door to random bugs, and one of those seems to be leaving Android Auto partially broken as some Google Pixel 9 owners have found.
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YouTube is adding a new format for ads on your TV which shows up when you pause the video, and that’s starting to roll out to users.
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Rolling out starting today, Google Search results will now directly link to The Internet Archive to add historical context for the links in your results.
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