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
Five years ago today, Google launched the Pixel 3a at I/O 2019 with a cheeky “Purple-ish” color variant and, with its latest batch of iPads, Apple is channeling that color again.
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Walmart is working its way toward the formal launch of its new “Onn Pro” Google TV box and, finally, the box has made it to the website, allowing you to find out if your store has any in stock and even purchase it.
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MediaTek has just announced its latest flagship chipset, the Dimensity 9300+, ahead of plans to launch in a “premium” Android phone in the US this year.
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The Motorola Razr is an excellent foldable flip phone, but it’s nearing time for a sequel. This week, images of a new Motorola Razr have leaked, but it looks like hardly anything will change this time around.
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For years it’s been widely accepted that, even if you use an Android phone, Android tablets are just largely not worth it. But that’s been changing a bit in recent years and, now, a new report shows Android tablets continuing to grow, right in time for Apple to launch new iPad.
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Google TV is finally about to launch its new “Magic” button that’s customizable and, ahead of it arriving on the next Chromecast, Walmart’s new “Pro” streaming box is showing how it works.
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Google appears to be working on support for YouTube Music integration with its Gemini AI.
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The Pixel 8a is coming up soon, and yet another new leak today shows off the front of the phone which begs the question – what do you think of the Pixel 8a’s bezels?
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The Nothing Phone (2a) is a really solid budget phone and it seems the market agrees, as supposedly higher-than-expected sales have left the device largely out of stock.
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Fossil announced earlier this year that it was leaving the smartwatch market and, after a fire sale last week, the company’s inventory of Wear OS smartwatches has been depleted.
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Google appears to be working on an updated setup and data transfer process for Android that could make everything a whole lot faster.
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AI hardware is finally shipping and with big promises, but given how the experience seems to be with the first high-profile launches, it really seems like even the worst smartphone would probably be better.
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Fossil smartwatches are pretty much dead at this point, as the company announced early this year that it would stop making new ones. And, now, Best Buy has realized that it shouldn’t be handing out hundreds of dollars when you trade in a Fossil smartwatch.
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Google’s official bands for the Pixel Watch are the best options out there, seeing as the third-party market is pretty rough, but Google is at least making it easier to find a good deal as it has expanded more Pixel Watch bands to Amazon recently.
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LinkedIn can be a handy tool, but it’s often full of long-winded posts that take forever to get to the point. Now, there’s a handy Chrome extension that can summarize long LinkedIn posts and maybe give you a bit of a chuckle too.
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Walmart’s new Google TV box is coming – but has not released yet – and early units are revealing all of the details. Now, a Reddit user has shown off the remote that comes with the Walmart Onn Pro Google TV box and it’s got a couple good features, and one that’s a little obnoxious.
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The Honor Magic 6 Pro quickly, and surprisingly, became one of my favorite Android phones when I reviewed it earlier this year, and now the Magic 6 RSR is giving that device a fresh coat of paint.
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The Pixel 8a is likely only a couple of weeks away from its debut and the leaks keep on coming. In another new leak, a Pixel 8a product page reiterates and confirms details about the upcoming device, including that it has a matte finish on the back.
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MediaTek is usually known for powering cheap devices, but the company has been building up some really good high-end chipsets too and, finally, it sounds like one of those chips will power a “premium” Android phone in the US market.
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Samsung is bringing One UI 6.1 to its Galaxy S21 series and foldables from 2021, but the company is solely bringing Google’s Circle to Search to these older devices, whereas others are getting nearly the entire Galaxy AI suite.
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After announcing it last month, Samsung has started rolling out its One UI 6.1 update and AI features to the Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold 4, and Galaxy Z Flip 4, as well as some surprising additional devices too.
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Google Search is starting to roll out what might be a handy new feature, “custom filters.”
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A new update is rolling out to Nothing Phone (2a) that brings ChatGPT widgets and more with it.
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One of the best features of Google Photos is the app’s ability to show old photos as a “Memory,” but sometimes showing a specific person isn’t what you want. Now, Google Photos is preparing to make it easier to hide someone’s face from Memories.
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