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
While Apple absolutely dominates the US market, Europe is much more diverse in terms of smartphone market share. According to a new report, Android brands are struggling in Europe amid the RAM pricing crisis, and Apple isn’t missing the opportunity.
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Hot on the heels of a US price hike earlier this year, YouTube Premimum is getting a higher price in countries all over the world, Google is confirming to users.
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The privacy-focused GrapheneOS is making its way to dedicated hardware soon, with a device in the works from Motorola. According to a quick update on that device, it’ll be “higher end” than a Pixel with a price to match, and it’ll be coming sometime next year.
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Google’s Pixel Watch 5 isn’t some radical new redesign, but it does bring about some welcome enhancements. And while I’m still wrestling with mixed feelings around the use of generative AI nowadays, the Pixel Watch 5’s AI watch face generator has been a surprising delight.
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An issue with Google Messages appears to be breaking RCS for some users, with much of the problem tracing back to Samsung Galaxy devices.
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Google Pixel 11 phones ship with an update to screen savers, with support for a new style and the ability to select more than one option and switch through them – much like iPhones do.
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iPhone-only for nearly two years, Peloton Strength+ is now available for Android users as a dedicated experience built around strength training.
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As with everything else, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab S12 series will be more expensive, but it could be a whole lot worse.
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Some issues with random Android Auto disconnects and freezes in recent weeks should be fixed with the latest updates, Google says.
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“HiLight” is one of the biggest hardware features on Google’s Pixel 11 Pro devices, but it’s also one that the company hindered by heavily limited what you can do with it. Android being Android, someone already figured out how to hijack “HiLight” and make the Pixel 11 Pro’s RGB light a lot more useful.
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Google’s Pixel phones have had killer haptic motors for several generations now, with the Pixel 11 further emphasizing these with a new ability to match the vibration patterns to your ringtone.
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A new forecast shows that the foldable market is poised to continue growing, with book-style foldables taking over the popularity of clamshell devices – but Samsung is no longer the king, instead fighting for second place.
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XREAL Aura, the company’s first pair of Android XR-based glasses, are set to officially get a price point soon as the first sales figures have come in, and it’s pretty popular so far.
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Samsung is teasing a new entrant to the Galaxy S26 series coming at an event on August 27, but it’s probably not going to be that exciting.
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A new leak has spilled the beans on an interesting move from Sony, as the company is preparing to re-launch its 2020 over-ear headphones, the WH-1000XM4.
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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra is going to be a tame upgrade, at least in terms of fit and finish, as a leaked image reveals that the design is almost entirely unchanged.
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Unveiled earlier this year, Google is shipping Android 17’s new 3D emoji design on the Pixel 11 series.
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The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is debuting into an increasingly tough market because, really, everything is good now. My first week with Google’s latest foldable has been one that started off hopeful, but is slowly turning a bit sour.
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Qi2 magnetic wireless charging is finally making some headway in the Android world, with Motorola recently having launched its first smartphone with built-in magnets. Now, a leaked “Moto Snap” wireless charger has surfaced, hopefully hinting at more Qi2 in Motorola’s lineup going forward.
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Ahead of the start of developer verification next month, Google is now rolling out Android’s “advanced” flow for sideloading.
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Anthropic’s Claude AI can now take a huge step in your email inbox, with the ability to not only interact with Gmail, but send emails on your behalf without asking you first.
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Spotify is introducing two new features this week including a “Running Mode” that can automatically match songs and playlists to the pace of your workout, as well as “User Notes” which let you leave notes throughout your library to refer to later.
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Live on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series and presumably coming to more devices when Android 17 / One UI 9 rolls out more broadly, Samsung is showing off a new “Warranty and Care” menu that makes it a whole lot easier to deal with repairs and warranty claims on your Galaxy device.
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NBC Universal has announced that Peacock will get yet another price hike, the fourth time in the platform’s history, which also now makes for a price hike in each of the past four years.
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