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
Setting default apps is commonplace on Android, but over on iOS, Apple has historically made this difficult. Over time, users have been given the ability to set default browser apps and make other tweaks, but starting next year, Apple will apparently allow iPhone users to set their default navigation app as something other than Apple Maps, like Google Maps.
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The Google Phone app appears to be testing out support for showing calls from WhatsApp, as well as making it easier to start a video call with someone.
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Switching from one platform to another is never easy, but in some cases, it can be harder than it needs to be. But, in response to the EU’s DMA, Apple has confirmed it is working on a “user-friendly” way to transfer data from an iPhone to an Android device.
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Microsoft this week announced, unexpectedly, that Windows 11 would drop its Subsystem for Android that allowed the OS to run Android apps. Now, we’re getting some insight as to why the decision was made.
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Fingerprint sensors are a mainstay of modern Android phones and, for most people, something we interact with on a daily basis. That’s why the fingerprint sensor on Google Pixel phones is so controversial, but what do you think about it?
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LineageOS is a great way to keep an older device running on newer versions of Android, but the project can only support builds for so long. This week, LineageOS 18.1 builds based on Android 11 are being sunset, but for good reason.
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After reports surfaced earlier this week, Microsoft has officially confirmed a March 21 event for Surface, Windows, and Copilot AI.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 is getting an update in some regions that revamps how users show data from their smartwatch up on their TV, functionality that’s supposed to be coming to Fitbit eventually.
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If you boot up your Roku TV this week, you might find a notice about new terms of service with no way to skip it. Here’s what you need to know about it.
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Google TV started rolling out its new homescreen late last month and, despite the fact it might take a while to reach everyone, Chromecast with Google TV is getting the update now.
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According to a new report out of Korea, Google Tensor G4 will be adopting a newer packaging method from Samsung which may improve power efficiency and heat management.
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Back in Android 12, Google added some flexibility to Android’s location permission by allowing users to only give apps access to their “approximate” location. It’s a great idea, but one that’s ruined by basically no apps actually supporting it.
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Google’s “A-Series” Pixel releases have long been praised for their affordable price points, but it seems Google is looking to yet again move that price up with the launch of Pixel 8a this year.
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The OnePlus 13 may finally get a new design, a reliable source claims.
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A major outage from Meta has taken down Facebook, Instagram, and other products, but it seems that some users are also seeing issues with some Google services.
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Qualcomm last year announced its Apple M-series competitor, the Snapdragon X Elite, and now it seems we finally know when a laptop is actually coming as a new report pinpoints a launch date for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6.
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Google Pixel is coming off of its best-selling year to date, but according to one report, Google shipped fewer Tensor chips in Q4 2023.
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In its latest update, password manager 1Password is adding support for passkeys on Android.
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Waze is launching several more new helpful features for your drive with new alerts for speed limit changes, speed bumps, roundabouts, and more.
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After countless teasers and leaks, the Nothing Phone (2a) is officially launching today with pre-orders opening at the lower-than-expected price of £319.
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Google Maps is invaluable in finding your way to a location, but a sore point of the app has long been finding where to actually enter the building. Now, though, Google Maps seems to be showing entrances for buildings to some users.
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At MWC 2024 last week, I had the chance to try out some of the concept devices that are meant to show the future of smartphones. But, while the future of foldables seems brighter than ever, I’m not sure ideas like rollables or bendables are going to have any place in the actual market.
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Biometrics have made it way more conveinent to unlock our smartphones, but there’s a debate on if face, or fingerprint unlock is the better solution. Many Android brands have taken the approach of “why not both,” adding both face and fingerprint unlock to their devices, but Google’s Pixel is the only one that’s done it correctly.
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Android Auto is introducing a handful of tweaks in its latest updates, including showing a status indicator on apps that only work when your car is parked.
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