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
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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Microsoft just launched its new Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, the first Surface devices powered by Snapdragon X Elite which start at $999.
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Microsoft is today showing off its vision for the future of AI in PCs, with one of the biggest announcements being “Recall,” a new AI feature for “Copilot+ PCs” that can effectively search anything you’ve done on your Windows PC.
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The first wave of laptops powered by Snapdragon X Elite and Plus chips have arrived and, included in that, is the new Acer Swift 14 AI, starting at $1,099.
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The first wave of Snapdragon X laptops has arrived and, with it, two new options from Lenovo powered by Snapdragon X Elite and starting at $1,199.
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According to a fairly reliable source, Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 could be a lot more expensive.
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According to a reliable source, Samsung has managed to make the display crease on its Galaxy Z Fold 6 less noticeable.
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Samsung is apparently upgrading the charging on its upcoming Galaxy Watch 7 series, boosting speeds by 50%.
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In the latest Android 15 beta update, Google has debuted improved support for syncing and using the profile picture from your Google account.
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As the first big announcement of I/O 2024 this week, Google revealed that AI Overviews – formerly the Search Generative Experience (SGE) – are now rolling out to the general public. But since its initial debut a year ago, AI Overviews in Search don’t seem to be as prevalent as they used to be.
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In the messy launch of its “Pro” Google TV box, Walmart has now confirmed that the backlit remote that appeared in some early purchases won’t actually come with all orders.
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Ahead of their expected launch later this year, the wallpapers for the entire Google Pixel 9 series have leaked with a new “Swirling Petals” theme, and hinting at the color variants available.
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Google’s Android Automotive software has been adopted by many carmakers for the EV era, but it tends to vary between different brands. This week Google and Rivian confirmed to 9to5Google that the EV-maker uses Android Automotive as the base of its software experience, something that was previously not known.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip has seen some big changes since its inception, but the display crease has remained a hurdle with the design. According to a new report, though, Samsung has plans to improve the display crease on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
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ChatGPT has started to add support for Google Drive integration, but it’s only for paying subscribers.
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Announced this week, GFiber, still better known as Google Fiber, is officially coming to Las Vegas as soon as 2025.
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Thanks to recent leaks, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what’s in store for the next Motorola Razr lineup, but another new leak is now revealing more color variants as well as specs for the low-end model and a big upgrade – a full-size cover display.
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Snapdragon X Elite laptops are approaching quickly and, now, we’re getting a first look at Samsung’s Galaxy Book 4 Edge ahead of its debut.
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Following the debut of Magic 6 Pro globally earlier this year, the Honor 200 series is next in line for release and this week specs have leaked alongside an official teaser and launch date.
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Despite reports that Sony’s smartphone business is shrinking, the company this week launched the Xperia 1 VI, a more powerful Android smartphone that won’t be coming to the US market.
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