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
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series is still over a month away from its formal debut, but a huge leak today is divulging all of the key details, including where the base Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ will lag behind the Ultra.
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Setting a custom ringtone for a specific contact is a fun and common way to tell incoming calls and messages apart, and soon, on Android, Google will apparently be making it much easier to do this.
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Amid increased scrutiny on Google and Apple for their locked-down app stores, Microsoft is pushing forward with an Xbox-branded store for mobile games on Android and iOS.
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As we start the month of December, we’re also just a mere month away from the launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series and, today, leaked images show off the Galaxy S24 Ultra, its titanium build, and more.
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Amid its crackdown on ad blockers, YouTube also recently disabled recommendations for users who had turned off watch history or used the site while logged out. Now, though, that decision has apparently been reversed.
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OnePlus is starting to bring Android 14 to a second device, with the OnePlus 10 Pro now getting the update.
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After an intense few days of drama following OpenAI’s board firing CEO Sam Altman, things have settled down with Altman back as CEO, a new board in place, and Microsoft getting a spot on the board as well.
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Meta’s Twitter competitor, Threads, has slowly found its own spot in the social media space and, soon, may seen an even bigger expansion as the platform is reportedly coming to Europe in December.
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Over the past couple of weeks, Google Maps has widely rolled out a new color palette across its various apps, and the reactions have so far been mixed. So, now that everyone has it, what do you think of the new colors in Google Maps?
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Microsoft has been building out its Phone Link tool for connecting Windows and Android together, and it seems it may soon support a new feature in streaming your phone’s camera to your computer.
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YouTube is testing out a new design for playlists and watch history on its TV app, now showing up for users on Google TV.
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Mozilla is opening the floodgates on extensions for Firefox on Android, with hundreds of new add-ons arriving in December.
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Samsung has expanded its Android 14 rollout to yet another affordable device in the Galaxy A24.
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As has become tradition, Spotify is now rolling out its yearly Wrapped summary of your favorite music through the year. Here’s where to find Spotify Wrapped 2023.
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Last month, an update for Nest Cam models left users seeing all night vision footage become blurry. Now, Google is rolling out a fix.
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Most people take a lot of screenshots, and in some cases, that’s just not what the app wants you to do. Some apps, like Snapchat, can detect when you’ve taken a screenshot, but it’s not using tools built into the OS. Now, Android 14 is adding screenshot detection for apps, with the bonus user benefit of Android telling you when an app knows you’ve taken a screenshot.
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Fossil is in the process of rolling out a new version of Wear OS to Gen 6 smartwatches, but it’s not the latest version, and instead Wear OS 3.5.
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As Samsung continues its Android 14 rollout, One UI 6 is now making its way to the Galaxy A53 and the super-affordable Galaxy A14.
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The OnePlus 12 is set to be unveiled in just a few days, and in traditional OnePlus fashion, we’re getting specs and details ahead of the formal debut. That includes a new breakdown of some key OnePlus 12 specs and features, including the return of wireless charging.
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Over the past few days, quite a few Google Drive users have noticed files go missing, and now Google is confirming that it is looking into the issue, which is caused by the desktop app.
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Older versions of Android often continue to get app and even feature updates for years to come, but eventually, things must come to an end. Soon, it seems, Google will be dropping support for its Calendar and Chrome apps on some older versions of Android.
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After debuting a 4K-capable Google TV box earlier this year, Walmart is now offering a $15 streaming stick running Google’s OS, and it’s available starting today.
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Samsung has just launched its latest super-affordable Android smartphone, the Galaxy A15, with a $140 price tag.
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Realme, one of the brands underneath BBK Electronics, has passed the milestone of shipping over 200 million smartphones in its mere five-year history.
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