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
Android 14 launched for Google Pixel devices on October 4, but it’s been pretty quiet in regards to a formal release from other brands. Samsung has been working on Android 14 in beta for a few months, and the stable release should be coming pretty much any time now.
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The Nothing Phone (2) made its debut over the Summer but was only sold in the United States through the company’s online store. Now, though, Nothing Phone (2) is available for purchase at Amazon.
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Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro launched to the public just over a week ago, but a controversy has been stirred up around benchmark apps having been blocked via the Play Store ahead of launch.
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Google has been working on improving Android’s emergency features for a while now, but that’s not been without some problems. After authorities asked Google to make changes following an influx of false emergency calls, the company has applied a fix in Android that adds a small barrier before a 911 call is made.
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According to reliable leakers, the OnePlus 12 will apparently revive wireless charging, even though the company’s new foldable still lacks it.
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Google’s Pixel lineup has struggled with a random issue where some apps will appear to have scrolling issues. With the new Pixel 8 series, that janky, stuttering scrolling is still around, but it’s still not affecting users consistently.
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The Samsung Messages app has been partially replaced by Google Messages for many Galaxy users, but it’s still installed on many devices. Recently, though, a lot of folks noticed that Samsung Messages was flagged as a “harmful” app by Google, as was the Samsung Wallet app.
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OnePlus and Realme are primarily known for their smartphones, but both have also been making smart TVs powered by Google TV for a while now. But soon that will apparently come to an end, at least in India.
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Themed icons debuted in Android 12 and expanded to third-party apps with Android 13. Now, as Android 14 rolls out more widely, Meta is finally giving in and bringing themed icons to Instagram, Facebook, and Facebook Messenger on Android.
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As a result of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, Google Maps and Waze seem to have shut down traffic alerts and data as a safety precaution.
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AI is everywhere now, and becoming an especially important part of our smartphones. Now a new report is detailing how Samsung is set to put a bigger focus on generative AI for the upcoming Galaxy S24 series.
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One of the many new software features Google has delivered on its Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is the ability for voice typing in Gboard to recognize multiple languages, being able to switch between them on the fly. “Soon,” multilingual voice typing will also arrive on the Google Pixel 7 series, too.
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“Fast charging is better.” It’s the same response OnePlus has had for years now when it’s asked about the lack of wireless charging on its flagship Android smartphones. And, now that we’re hearing it yet again about the $1,700 OnePlus Open, I’m just so tired of it.
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Foldable smartphones still feel rather new, but as Samsung prepares for its sixth-generation release, the company is setting its sights on selling 20 million foldables in 2024.
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Smartphone displays have been getting much brighter in recent years, with Google’s Pixel 8 Pro currently offering one of the brightest smartphone displays in the US market at 2,400 nits. But, next week, OnePlus will show off a device equipped with a 3,000 nit display.
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Meta’s Threads has been by far the most promising replacement for Twitter, but for me, the biggest downside has been that notifications barely work. Now, though, Threads seems to have fixed the problem, at least on Android.
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The OnePlus Open launched yesterday and is now available for pre-order, and as with any other modern smartphone launch, that means trade-in offers. Some of OnePlus’ deals are really good, but others are quite bad. Let’s break it down.
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Nearby Share is truly Android’s AirDrop and a super useful feature for transferring pictures and files between devices. However, Google is now blocking access to Nearby Share when Android users have work profiles enabled.
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Google’s latest batch of Pixel devices has arrived, and Pixel 8, 8 Pro, and Pixel Watch 2 are some of the most promising launches Google has ever had. So have you purchased any of them yet?
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Oppo and OnePlus have been sharing more and more in common over the past few years, and there’s nowhere that’s no apparent than the OnePlus Open and Oppo Find N3 foldables, which quite literally are the same device.
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Google’s Pixel phones have long been praised for their cameras, but the past three generations have all been using 50MP camera sensors. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, though, are using a slightly newer sensor, and a detailed comparison offers a look at how the camera has changed.
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With the new Pixel 8 series, Google is adding a Fast Pair-integrated setup process that’s super quick and super easy, but there is one downside: it doesn’t let you use a cable, at least not easily.
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AI can be a wonderful tool, but it also has some dark sides. YouTube, though, is trying to help implement AI “responsibly,” and that reportedly includes a new tool that lets creators use AI to sing like their favorite music artists.
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The first foldable from OnePlus has arrived in the “OnePlus Open.” The $1,700 foldable doesn’t bring the lower price we were expecting, but it has absolutely stellar hardware and a multitasking system that’s unique and powerful.
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