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
ADT launched its first Nest-integrated security system earlier this year, but it seems another device is around the corner, and with some of the best features from the Nest Secure that Google is killing in a few months.
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The Google.com homepage has largely been a simple search box for almost the entirety of the company’s history, but it seems it might be getting an overhaul sometime soon. Following similar tests last year, the Google Search homepage has been spotted testing out a new layout that’s nearly identical to Google Discover on Android.
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Android 14 is now available on Google Pixel phones, but still in beta for Samsung devices. This week, Samsung continues to expand its offering, now with support for Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and the Galaxy S21 series in new regions.
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Adding wireless Android Auto to your car is rather easy thanks to the pretty wide availability of adapters, and now one of the best adapters, AAWireless, is getting a permanent price cut across the globe.
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Carrying around a spare charger can be a little cumbersome, depending on its size and design, but as the tech gets better, the hardware is also getting pretty impressive. This week, Nomad has launched a new duo of super slim USB-C chargers that are barely thicker than your Pixel phone.
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There are quite a few big upgrades on the Pixel 8 series, such as the new 7-year update commitment, but on a hardware level, the biggest upgrade is easily Google’s new “Actua” displays, which finally puts Google in the same league as its biggest competitors.
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Foldable flip phones have a lot of benefits, but as with any folding phone, they also have drawbacks. One of those drawbacks has been with the tendency of flip phones to look terrible while wearing sunglasses – something that the Oppo Find N3 Flip fixes.
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Meta’s Twitter competitor, Threads, is now rolling out one of its most-requested features – an edit button.
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Since its debut over the summer, Google has put a lot of weight behind marketing the Pixel Fold as “the thinnest foldable of all.” The upcoming OnePlus Open, though, may crush that campaign, as it is said to be thinner.
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Motorola is breaking new ground with the most affordable foldable smartphone in the US with its new Razr (2023), which is now available for pre-order.
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Foldable phones are getting better, especially when you look at the brands based in China. Today, Honor is announcing another foldable in the Magic Vs2, which seems to exist for… reasons.
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Support for multiple SIM cards (or eSIM) is a useful feature in Android, especially when traveling, but it takes a while to switch back and forth. Soon, Android may make this process much easier.
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With the launch of Pixel Watch 2, Google has shuffled up its watch band offerings, but that has resulted in the removal of a few options including the only first-party brown leather band in the company’s collection.
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Smartphones cases are often a necessary evil. They make your phone a little bulkier, and hide the design, but in exchange they can protect your device from damage in the very likely scenario of a drop. With Google’s updated official cases for the Pixel 8 series and the Pixel Fold, though, Google is turning something good into something back, and just making me long for the days of old.
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Google was recently accused of running a misleading ad campaign for YouTube TV that positioned the service as being hundreds of dollars cheaper than cable, but the company has now agreed to end the campaign.
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Google is launching new a “Pixel Troubleshooting” app for its phones and tablets which is designed to help users find their way through common problems, such as an overly warm device.
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The Pixel Watch can’t be repaired, which is a shame given the display wasn’t hard to scratch or break. With Pixel Watch 2, Google claims that glass is “more durable,” but it in, in fact, the same glass.
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After teasing it earlier this year, Sony has confirmed that PS5 games are coming to cloud gaming later this month but only on consoles for the time being.
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After nearly a decade, Google is removing the “Photo Sphere” mode from Pixel phones, starting with the Pixel 8 series.
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The Pixel Watch was, in my eyes, better than I expected it to be. But, ultimately, it was still far from being as good as the competition. With the Pixel Watch 2, Google hasn’t gone back to the drawing board, but a collection of small tweaks add up to a much better overall product.
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Google has been making its own smartphones since 2016, but it’s really never felt as though the company has really hit the nail on the head. Each model has had some random dealbreaker or quirk that left it just short of really getting it all right. After the Pixel 7 Pro showed that Google was finally pointing itself in the right direction, the Pixel 8 Pro feels like it is the device that brings everything together.
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Google is rolling out the latest version of Android Auto, version 10.6, and the app is also testing out a new “disconnect” option to help quickly terminate a wireless session.
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The Peloton app arrived on Wear OS earlier this year with support for tracking workouts and syncing the watch with exercise gear and, now, it’s also adding support for watch faces.
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The Nothing Phone (2) is preparing its Android 14 update, which is now in beta as Nothing OS 2.5.
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