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
The first foldable from OnePlus, the OnePlus Open, is confirmed to arrive later this week, and now a series of leaks reveal the foldable’s full design and more of its specs.
Expand Expanding Close
Ecobee has today launched its first video doorbell, the “Smart Doorbell Camera,” which has a neat feature that lets you view the camera feed live on your thermostat.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s new “Actua” displays on the Pixel 8 series are fantastic and industry-leading in the US market, but that may change next year as Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series and the OnePlus 12 edge past the Pixel 8 Pro – but only just barely.
Expand Expanding Close
Xiaomi is today announcing that it will ditch its Android skin of the past decade, MIUI, and instead begin shipping phones with “HyperOS.”
Expand Expanding Close
Android 14 is a solid update to Google’s smartphone OS, but the update does seem to be causing some significant issues regarding user profiles on Pixel 6 series devices.
Expand Expanding Close
There are smartphones that can charge at crazy speeds, but Google’s Pixel phones aren’t really known for their fast charging. With the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, Google has upgraded the wired charging speeds, and a new test dive shows that there’s even more of an improvement than we see on paper.
Expand Expanding Close
Following a dive into mobile games over the past couple of years, Netflix is now testing support for game streaming on TV platforms and the web, all powered by a remote controller on your smartphone.
Expand Expanding Close
The Pixel 8 Pro’s display is incredibly good, but some users are reporting a weird little issue with the always-on display that is causing text to appear in pink or yellow.
Expand Expanding Close
A weird bug on Wear OS 4 for Samsung’s latest Galaxy Watch models is causing Google’s keyboard, Gboard, to disappear when it’s needed.
Expand Expanding Close
Earlier this month, some Android Auto users ran into an issue that removed the crucial navigation bar. That’s now been fixed, but a new bug is preventing some Pixel 8 owners from using Android Auto.
Expand Expanding Close
The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are now in the hands of early buyers, but if you were holding out for reviews, keep in mind that today ends the best deals for Google’s new hardware.
Expand Expanding Close
Google has confirmed that the Pixel 8 series will soon support lossless audio over USB-C, but that same port can’t (officially) be used for video out.
Expand Expanding Close
The Google Pixel Fold launched over the Summer to mixed opinions, but now that the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro have launched, they really make me wish that Google had just waited a little bit longer to debut its first foldable.
Expand Expanding Close
Google raised prices on the Pixel 8 series this year, but Mint Mobile is offering to give you a discount that more than negates that while also giving you a free Pixel Watch 2 and a few months of free service.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s second Pixel Watch is way better than its first, but some early buyers are seeing that the Pixel Watch 2 is struggling to get through the setup process. Thankfully, Google is aware of the problem.
Expand Expanding Close
Nvidia GeForce Now is perhaps the best cloud gaming service in the wake of Google Stadia’s death (and even before that), but the platform is soon seeing price increases in some regions.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
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.
Expand Expanding Close
Meta’s Twitter competitor, Threads, is now rolling out one of its most-requested features – an edit button.
Expand Expanding Close