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
Google has been steadily improving Gemini over the past couple of months, and it seems the Android experience is getting ready for a slew of new upgrades which includes responding in an overlay on top of your current apps.
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SimpliSafe is expanding its live monitoring service to try to prevent break-ins before they happen using outdoor cameras.
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We’ve seen the Pixel 8a leaks several times now, and today a new live leak has revealed what the vibrant blue and green color variants will look like in person.
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Notification channels are one of the best features Android has debuted in recent years, but the feature can be a little bit much in some apps. In Android 15, though, it appears Google will make it easier to use notification channels by hiding channels that you haven’t used.
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It’s been a couple of weeks since Google killed off Nest Secure, its only home security system, leaving owners to figure out something else. If you had a Nest Secure, what replacement are you using now?
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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Ring promises to bring health tracking to a smaller wearable than the company has ever offered, and leaks are offering more insight into the device ahead of its full launch. This week, a set of Galaxy Ring model numbers once again hints at the sizing options coming, but raises some questions.
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In the world of virtual and mixed reality, Meta’s Quest series has been among the most popular, and a big part of that comes down to the well-built and well-supported software. Today, Meta has announced that it will let other headset makers use the same software found on Quest, “Horizon OS,” on their own hardware.
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Recent software updates have seemingly caused a persistent “green line” issue on the Galaxy devices of many users, but it seems that Samsung is now offering free display replacements for those affected, but only to select models in India.
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Google’s mid-range Pixel lineup has offered some great deals over the years, but the prices have crept higher year by year. With Google Pixel 8a, another leak adds fuel to the fire that the price will be going up.
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Following past series, Samsung is now selling refurbished Galaxy S23 devices under its “Re-Newed” program, with discounts of over $200 off.
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YouTube has become a hub of some of the greatest talent in the entertainment industry, with rising stars that put out incredible content. But would you ever pay directly to watch your favorite YouTube channel?
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7 years of updates. It’s something that’s still borderline unbelievable, but Google set as the new standard for software updates with its latest Pixel releases. But months later, some still seem to not understand what this update promise means…
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Google Maps has long featured the ability to show buildings in 3D while navigating, but recently started rolling out that view to its Android Auto and CarPlay experiences. Here’s how to disable that.
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Google is working on a new way to show the health of storage in your Android phone.
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Following the launch of Nothing Ear and Ear (a) this week, Nothing is also rolling out a new update for Nothing Phone (2) which delivers quite a few upgrades, including ChatGPT integration.
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The Motorola Razr is one of the most affordable foldable flip phones, and also one of the best you can buy today. Now, Boost Mobile is debuting a custom Motorola Razr in collaboration with “Coach Prime.”
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Qualcomm first announced its new Windows chipset last year, but no machines have actually gone on sale with Snapdragon X Elite thus far. Now, though, Qualcomm is teasing some sort of announcement on April 24.
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The Google Maps app for Android Auto is picking up some minor tweaks to icons which offer a bit more contrast to the design.
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Every video you watch on a smartphone, tablet, or other device has to be run through some decoder, and AV1 has long been touted as the “next big thing.” To get around AV1 hardware requirements, though, Google has quietly added a software-based AV1 decoder to the vast majority of Android devices.
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Google is finally rolling out the Find My Device network on Android, and with it comes the AirTag-like trackers we’ve been waiting on for almost a year now. Pebblebee, after initially revealing a May launch date, has now officially confirmed when its Android trackers will start shipping.
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While it’s not live just yet, it appears that Google Messages is adding support for powerful parental controls that can stop a user from sending a message until they’re granted approval.
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YouTube videos streamed through Meta Quest may start looking sharper, as the app now supports streaming at 8K resolution.
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In an update shared recently, Roku has announced that all customer accounts will be forced to use two-factor authentication following a couple of massive security breaches.
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Google Keep is super useful as a notes app, but it also features the ability to create reminders too. Soon, it appears that Google Tasks and Calendar will be able to show reminders from Keep.
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