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
Google’s Pixel phones, especially those powered by Tensor chips, aren’t known for their gaming performance, but there seems to be a considerable upgrade coming with the December 2023 update as a GPU upgrade behind the scenes should lead to better performance.
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Over the past few months, the EU has been going after “gatekeepers,” with one goal being to make messaging services interoperable. Google has been one voice pushing for Apple’s iMessage to fall under that regulation, but according to a new report, the EU may not take things that far.
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In a new update, Android TV is putting free channels from Google TV front and center, with the channels now appearing on the homescreen right along with your favorite apps.
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Twitter/X is looking into potential issues with its Android app on Google Pixel phones where, apparently, the app runs slow for some.
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Instagram has run into a bizarre issue where audio from videos on the platform from several years ago have randomly disappeared, but Meta has confirmed a fix is coming.
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Discord is a super popular messaging app, thanks to its bevy of features, but those same features have also made the mobile app feel very cluttered. Starting today, though, Discord is rolling out a redesigned mobile app to all users on Android and iOS.
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For many, Google Calendar is an essential app for keeping track of events and ongoing tasks, but the app currently makes it a little more complicated than it needs to be to create a task. Soon, though, that’s set to change in the Android app.
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As the holidays quickly approach, Google is offering some decent trade-in values toward the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro when you hand in an iPhone.
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After a week off, Samsung is expanding its Android 14 update yet again, with OTAs hitting several Galaxy A devices as well as the Galaxy Tab S9 FE and Galaxy S21 FE.
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The idea of an iMessage app for Android has been a dream for years, but with Apple now adopting RCS, it also feels like something we’ll never see happen. But the folks over at Beeper have been working on a wild new app that brings iMessage to Android and, after trying it out, this feels like what we’ve all been waiting for.
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iMessage for Android. Even in this new reality where Apple intends to adopt RCS, it’s still something that people want because, after all, iMessage is very popular. And while Apple will probably never do it, the folks at Beeper are launching a new app, “Beeper Mini,” which brings iMessage support to Android that closely mimics the experience on iPhone, and does so in a way that’s “native.”
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The OnePlus 12 has been officially announced, at least over in China. Here’s the full specs of the brand’s 2024 flagship ahead of the global debut.
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A new update is rolling out to the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) which brings an updated security patch from October 2023.
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The Nothing Phone (2) has stellar software in terms of the user experience, but the company is starting to develop a bit of a track record around worrying security problems, with the latest example coming from the company’s CMF sub-brand.
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YouTube seems to be testing out a new tweak that shows views and like counts updating in nearly real-time as you watch a video.
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Back in May of this year, Google announced that it would launch the “Find My Device” network for Android, which would allow for AirTag-like tracking on Android devices. But, over the summer, Google announced that it would delay the “Find My Device” network until Apple implemented tracking protection in iOS, and now, amid the busiest travel season of the year, Google is still leaving Android users at the mercy of Apple.
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The increasing cost and quantity of streaming services have left many feeling like it’s all just too much, but Verizon has a fairly compelling new deal that offers Netflix and Max for a low monthly bill.
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In the lead-up to Christmas, Google TV has added a fun “Advent Calendar” to its homescreen with 25 days of movie recommendations.
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The OnePlus 12 launches tomorrow, at least in China, and ahead of that debut we’re getting more details on the device.
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I think we’ve all been here.
You’re diving into a huge list of notifications that arrived overnight or while you were away from your phone and, while doing so, a new notification arrived leading to you accidentally swiping it, or many others away by accident. It’s a frustrating situation, but one that Android solved years ago with notification history.
Though, if you’re on a Samsung or OnePlus phone, you might not realize that.
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Samsung’s lineup of smartphones has become pretty similar across the board in terms of design, and the upcoming Galaxy A55 won’t be changing much, as it looks practically identical to the Galaxy A54 that came before it.
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Almost every smart TV platform is, at this point, a billboard for ads with your apps sprinkled in, but where the line is drawn for many is automatically playing videos. Now, Amazon Fire TV is showing fullscreen video ads to users, and there’s no way to avoid it.
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One of the big new features Google is preparing for the Pixel 8 Pro is “Video Boost,” which promises to greatly improve video quality through post-processing on Google’s servers. While there’s no firm release date for that just yet, the Google Photos app is setting the foundation.
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The Amazon Alexa app is getting a long-awaited redesign, and the new look is nearly identical to the Google Home app.
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