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 OnePlus 12R is a really good “budget” phone, but in a new ad campaign, OnePlus says that users should “upgrade from your Pixel” for it.
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Google’s Pixel Watch is a wonderful smartwatch, but arguably one of its biggest flaws is a proprietary watch band connection that’s heavily limited options. What band are you using on Pixel Watch?
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According to a couple of somewhat sketchy rumors floating around, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 could come in a third variant, while all models would have faster chips.
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Ahead of its launch event later this year, we’re getting more info about Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 which will lack S Pen support.
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For the past few months, notification history on Google Pixel phones has been broken, but the March 2024 update finally fixes the feature.
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Google Gemini is a useful AI tool, but it’s really only accessible through a website. As a fun trick, though, you can actually get to Google Gemini by simply visiting the website “ai.com,” which now redirects to the tool.
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Reddit has announced a new ad format that will make ads look much like normal posts in your feed.
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For the past few years, Google has been using the same cheeky joke on March 14 to promote its Pixel lineup, but this year, it feels like Google really missed the perfect chance to drop a Pixel 9 teaser.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series has been a hit, outselling the Galaxy S23 series so far in multiple regions. And the winner in it all? The Galaxy S24+.
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Now that the dust has settled around the Beeper Mini situation, Beeper is turning attention to its original app which is getting a massive revamp on Android starting today.
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Samsung’s big Galaxy AI update is right around the corner, as the company is reiterating that One UI 6.1 is set to drop on select Galaxy devices in the next couple of weeks.
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The Asus Zenfone lineup has held its entire reputation over the past few years on being the one good small phone that also had a good price tag. Well, that’s over, with Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra launching today with a big display and an even bigger price.
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Google revamped Android’s branding in late 2023 with “The Bot” as the new mascot. And while Samsung Galaxy and Pixel phones have been picking up new boot animations inspired by this updated mascot, there’s another 3D Android boot logo showing up on some devices.
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WhatsApp is expanding support for pinning chats, raising the limit to five chats.
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As Google Podcasts fades away, YouTube Music is bolstering its podcasts offering as a new update prepares to add a “Trim Silence” option.
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“Sora” is an AI model from OpenAI which can turn text prompts into jaw-dropping 60-second videos and, now, OpenAI says it will become publicly available later on in 2024.
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The Google Pixel Fold 2 looks like a massively improved device over the original, and now new leaks are giving us a better picture of the size of the displays.
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For the first time in a while, Samsung won’t be bringing one of its most popular Galaxy A-series smartphones to the US, with the Galaxy A55 confirmed to not launch in the region.
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Android Auto and CarPlay are super useful features of newer vehicles, but it’s historically been a big hassle to install updated infotainment systems in older vehicles. But, over the past couple of years, it’s gotten way easier to do this, and now both the quality and price are improving too.
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Samsung has officially launched its Android 14 update, One UI 6, with new features, updated design, and more. Here’s everything that’s new, a list of Samsung Galaxy devices getting Android 14, and everything else you’ll need to know.
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Ahead of the 2024 US election, Google has confirmed that Gemini will not answer questions about not only US elections, but elections around the globe.
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Modern smartphones are often very well-designed, but it’s also exceptionally easy to break the glass slabs. As such, most people use smartphone cases. On Pixel, though, case options tend to be a bit limited, so what case are you using on your Google Pixel smartphone?
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Google’s official Pixel Watch bands are not extraordinarily expensive, but they’re also not cheap. If you’re looking to get a spare, though, some bands have never been cheaper than they are right now.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is set to release later on this year, and the company is apparently gearing up for pretty hefty demand with 400,000 units being produced to meet initial orders for its release date in August.
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