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
It’s, unfortunately, increasingly common for security cameras to have a glitch that exposes data from one user’s system and have that data show up in someone else’s app, but when it does happen, it usually has a minimal impact. Wyze, though, has confirmed that a recent outage led to the cameras of 13,000 customers being semi-accessible to other accounts.
Expand Expanding Close
Recently Microsoft Edge was caught sneakily grabbing data from Google Chrome and other browsers following Windows updates, but there was also an apparent glitch going on where Edge would grab that data even if you didn’t give it permission. Now, that bug has supposedly been fixed.
Expand Expanding Close
Huawei, still unable to use Google apps, keeps chugging along with more Android-based smartphones. This week, the company has confirmed plans to launch its next foldable, the Huawei Pocket 2.
Expand Expanding Close
2021’s OnePlus Watch was a pretty incredible mess, with the smartwatch launching in an unfinished state lacking tons of features and more. But, now, OnePlus is officially teasing the OnePlus Watch 2, saying that “it’s time, to do it right.”
Expand Expanding Close
Using a navigation app when out on the road is what just about everyone does nowadays, but these apps are useful for more than just getting directions from point A to point B. Google Maps has supported incident reporting for quite some time, but as we keep moving forward, the feature is becoming essentially useless due to neglect.
Expand Expanding Close
Back in 2021, Google effectively rebooted its efforts with Pixel hardware with the arrival of the first Tensor processor. That’s led to some big changes but 2024 finally marks the year that the transition is entering its final stage.
Expand Expanding Close
For years now, Google has offered the “Android File Transfer” app on macOS to enable users to access files and photos when plugging them into a Mac. But, suddenly, Google has hidden that tool from the official Android website.
Expand Expanding Close
With the debut of Android 15’s first developer preview, there’s not much that’s new, but Google is making some small tweaks throughout. One of those tweaks is Android 15’s new ability to control keyboard haptics from the Settings menu regardless of the app’s setting.
Expand Expanding Close
The longtime digital movie streaming app Vudu is being rebranded soon, with the app to become “Fandango at Home.”
Expand Expanding Close
The streaming wars have led to having tons of different services out there, all with constantly rising price tags. But, apparently, we might get some consolidation going forward, as a new report suggests a merger of Paramount+ and Peacock could be coming.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung has started rolling out the first update for the Galaxy S24 series and posted a detailed changelog online which includes the claim that this update improved camera performance on the Galaxy S24 Ultra when “fast-moving subjects” are in the frame.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s ecosystem of hardware in Pixel phones, Buds, and the Pixel Watch 2 is quite solid, but there’s a clear lack of accessories out there. While there is an official option for a 3-in-1 charging dock for Pixel Watch 2, Buds, and your phone, I found a third-party option that works quite well.
Expand Expanding Close
After almost two months of back and forth, YouTube TV has just officially launched its new “Last Channel Shortcut” which allows users to quickly switch back and forth between channels they’re watching.
Expand Expanding Close
Rolling out now, YouTube Shorts is adding the ability to add content from official music videos to your Shorts.
Expand Expanding Close
Business cards, receipts, signs, etc. We’ve all taken pictures of these for safekeeping only to have to dig through our library to find them later. Google Photos already has a “Documents” section to help speed that update, but now the app seems to be adding support for better controls over what photos do and do not appear in it.
Expand Expanding Close
Buying a phone from your carrier is a good way to get great deals or an easy payment option, but it also often means being stuck with a device locked to one carrier. A glitch over at T-Mobile, though, has left the ability to permanently unlock Samsung smartphones just a few taps away.
Expand Expanding Close
The popular custom ROM LineageOS is debuting its Android 14 builds, LineageOS 21, with a few key improvements and the addition of an ad-free Android TV launcher too.
Expand Expanding Close
Over the past several years, Apple has managed to pull in more and more marketshare from Android to the point where Apple now sells more smartphones than Samsung. But, in 2023, fewer Android users reportedly switched over to the iPhone than the year prior.
Expand Expanding Close
The Xiaomi 14 series is set to make its global debut later this month, and now we’ve got price leaks as well as images of the upcoming “Ultra” model.
Expand Expanding Close
A big part of the appeal of the original Nothing Phone was its affordable price tag, and it seems the upcoming Nothing Phone (2a) will be beating that with an even lower price.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s road to the launch of the first Pixel Fold last year was long and complicated, but as time goes on, we’re getting a bit more clarity into the development. This week, the “jumbojack” Pixel foldable we spotted back in 2021 has allegedly surfaced, and its a little different than expected.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung has just announced the first Galaxy S24 update which will bring customizable display settings among some other new tweaks.
Expand Expanding Close
Google One has crossed 100 million subscribers and has a big new focus on its “AI Premium” tier with Gemini Advanced, but caught up in the crossfire seems to have been the 200GB plan, which is no longer being surfaced to account holders.
Expand Expanding Close
The new Google Weather app made its debut last year on Pixel phones with a wonderful new design, and now the icons from that revamp seem to be coming to At a Glance and weather widgets.
Expand Expanding Close