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
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 launched last week to middling reception, but Samsung may have a better version in the pipeline, but the “Ultra” and/or “Slim” model may end up limited only to two countries.
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Two months after its debut on iOS, Anthropic has debuted the Claude app for Android.
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Android 15 itself is shaping up to be a pretty middling upgrade, but it sounds like Samsung may have some bigger updates in store, according to a known tipster.
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Google has quietly disabled the At a Glance watchface complication on Pixel Watch for customers in Germany.
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One of YouTube TV’s biggest competitors, Sling TV, is adding 4K streaming for the first time starting with the 2024 MLB All-Star Game and the Paris Olympics.
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Amazon Prime Day is in full swing and, with it, countless deals on electronics. With that, you’ll probably also see plenty of big discounts on Android tablets that are just too good to be true, but don’t fall victim to any Prime Day discounts that aren’t worth your hard-earned dollar.
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Samsung has dominated the smartphone market for a while now, and the company is still sitting on that throne. However, Xiaomi is quickly closing in on Apple’s #2 spot on the global market.
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The OnePlus Watch 2 is a stellar Wear OS smartwatch, but apparently, it was overpriced. Today, OnePlus has announced the OnePlus Watch 2R, a $229 smartwatch that, from everything we can see, is effectively exactly the same as the device that launched a few months ago.
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Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 series keeps on leaking, with a new video on TikTok offering a quick look at the camera, including that it is still maxing out at 30x zoom.
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AI Overviews are continuing to show up less and less in Google Search, with a new report finding they’re appearing in less than 10% of search queries.
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After launching its budget-friendly CMF Phone 1 last week, Nothing has also released 3D files that can be used to create 3D printed accessories, among other things, for the device.
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Essential went under in 2020, with the company having only launched the PH-1, it’s first smartphone. But there were plans for a second device from Essential known as “Gem,” and now someone has sold a unit, offering insight on some new details about the device.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 series is on the way, and may arrive alongside the company’s mixed reality headset.
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Android has a built-in QR code scanner tool that you might not even know about, but Google is in the process of giving it a redesigned look.
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Google Wallet is preparing to launch a new feature that allows users to turn a physical document into a pass within the app after announcing the functionality earlier this year.
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Samsung has confirmed that One UI 6.1.1, the software that launched on Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, is coming to select Galaxy devices soon with a handful of new features.
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The Find My Device network had huge promise, but it’s quickly become an absolute mess. Google, though, is defending the Find My Device network for its approach to privacy, the same approach that appears to be completely ruining its functionality.
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Merely five years ago, the idea of a foldable smartphone was still one that was unbelievable to most people. But, now, we’re seeing the concept suffer from boring iteration, and that’s coming from the same brand that kickstarted the entire form factor. Samsung has lost its foldable ambition, and it’s now just putting a damper on the exciting category.
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Qualcomm has launched a lawsuit against Transsion, one of the world’s largest smartphone makers, over patents.
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Nothing is still a small smartphone and accessories brand in the bigger picture, but the company is seeing some big success in the mid-range market. Today, Nothing announced that its new CMF Phone (1), a $199 smartphone, sold over 100,000 units in just 3 hours.
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As Samsung this week launched its somewhat disappointing latest foldable generation, Honor has now unveiled its Magic V3 flagship, the new thinnest foldable smartphone.
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Samsung once dominated the foldable market, but that’s quickly changed. With its latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, Samsung doesn’t have high expectations for sales growth, and that might have something to do with who is actually buying these devices.
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Samsung skipped over Bixby with its big Galaxy AI launch, but that’s soon to change, Samsung says.
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Samsung has confirmed plans to launch the Galaxy Tab S10 series before the end of the year, as rumors swirl around the new tablets.
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