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
As the year comes to a close, Google is announcing a few more updates for Google TV that are quietly rolling out, including some further performance improvements, some upgrades to the “Live” tab, and more.
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In the latest beta of Android 14’s next update, QPR2, Google is tweaking the process of sharing your Wi-Fi password via a QR code and making it a whole lot easier.
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When buying a smartphone locally, choices usually boil down to either a carrier store or the one-stop shop that is Best Buy. Apparently, though, Best Buy is testing out a plan that would see stores pushing a single carrier instead of multiple, as well as only shipping phones purchased rather than handing them out in store.
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After years of making monetization status publicly available, YouTube now hides channels that are enrolled in its Partner Program.
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Google’s launch of Wear OS 3 was, at first, limited to just a couple of devices. That’s since changed as the update has become much more widely available, except on smartwatches from Mobvoi. But, finally, Wear OS 3 is coming to the TicWatch Pro 3 and TicWatch E3.
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In Android 14 QPR2, it’s been revealed that Google is soon going to let users turn off the At a Glance widget on the Pixel Launcher, but in the latest beta, we’ve also found that you might also be able to relocate it.
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Back in 2020, amid the worst of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Google announced that it would cap streaming quality on YouTube to 480p for purchased movies when watching through the web. Today, that restriction remains in place, despite further emphasis on the experience going forward.
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Amid the insanity that has been the iMessage for Android conversation in the past week, there’s an underlying question. With iPhone users almost unanimously choosing iMessage, what’s your most-used messaging app?
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One of the best parts of a smartwatch is the ability to change your watch face on the fly, keeping it constantly ready to suit your outfit or whatever you’re doing. And, on Pixel Watch, there’s a useful favorites row that not only stores your favorite faces, but also multiple variations of that same design.
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Video Boost on the Pixel 8 Pro promises better quality for your recordings thanks to processing up in the cloud. Here’s how to turn on the feature and how to switch between recordings.
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The Epic vs Google court battle has come to a verdict, with a jury unanimously voting in Epic’s favor, and declaring that Google has an “illegal monopoly” with the Play Store and Google Play billing.
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Google Chrome is rolling out a new look for bookmarks on Android, with big image previews for the links you’ve saved.
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Just days after its debut, Beeper Mini was seemingly killed by Apple. Now, the iMessage app for Android is back, but how long will it last this time?
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The OnePlus 12 launched in China earlier this month with some incredible specs, and while some software bugs are always expected with a new phone launch, one buyer’s OnePlus 12 had an actual dead insect inside of it.
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Cellular smartwatches can be super useful for a new of reasons, particularly for staying connected while exercising and leaving your phone behind. Now, Verizon is adding support for cellular smartwatches on its prepaid plans starting at $10/month.
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Generative AI has taken the world, and Google’s products by storm over the past year. Now, Google Chrome is preparing a new feature that creates custom themes for the browser using AI.
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As Google TV has taken over for Google Play Movies & TV, the brand will be fully going away in January as apps on Android TV, select cable boxes, and the web will be replaced with other means of access.
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Samsung’s next big Android update, One UI 6.1, will add new features on top of Android 14, and it seems a big focus will be on AI features. According to newly leaked images, that includes Samsung using Google’s generative AI wallpapers that debuted on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, except on Galaxy phones.
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Over the past few years, the problem of getting major Android updates out to users has become faster than ever, but at the same time, it’s felt like the rollouts have become more sporadic and random than ever before. Is that actually a problem? Let’s discuss.
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After just a few days, Beeper Mini, the most impressive iMessage client on Android to date, has seemingly stopped working, and the app has now taken the step to deregister Android phone numbers on behalf of its users.
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Beeper Mini launched on Tuesday with the promise of bringing secure iMessage to Android, and indeed it worked wonderfully. However, less than a week later, the app seems to be broken.
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After a long wait, Meta is finally set to launch Threads in Europe this month, with the company now showing a teaser of the launch to users in the region.
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Samsung is allegedly bringing some big improvements to its next batch of foldables, with a new rumor suggesting a new aspect ratio for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 outer display, as well as thinner bezels on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
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Emergency calls on Android can now send additional information to an operator, as support is rolling out to allow health information to be sent to emergency services when calling 911.
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