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
Hisense has launched its new “DécoTV” series with the S5, a 32-inch TV that gives off some artsy vibes in a versatile form factor – it’s just running the wrong software.
Expand Expanding Close
Nothing introduced “Lock Glimpse” earlier this year on its new budget-focused Phone (3a) Lite, and the sort of lockscreen “ads” appear to drain your battery from beyond the grave.
Expand Expanding Close
While the focus has very much shifted to Google TV, the older Android TV experience is still getting updates from time to time, with the latest addition being a “Free” content tab that replaces the current design’s namesake.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s official Pixelsnap Charger with Qi2 25W support is suddenly on sale, but you can do better.
Expand Expanding Close
Over the past couple of years, Google TV has been heavily investing in free-to-watch channels that provide 24/7 content with no charge and no accounts. Now, Google TV Freeplay has over 250 channels available following the addition of quite a lot of new channels in recent months, including several more new local news channels.
Expand Expanding Close
Meta has today announced that Instagram is getting a TV app designed to let you watch Reels on the big screen, but it’s only on Amazon’s Fire TV platform to start.
Expand Expanding Close
OnePlus has been betting pretty heavily on mobile gaming in the past few years, but a new “Turbo” lineup is apparently on its way and OnePlus says it is “frighteningly strong” – whatever that’s supposed to mean.
Expand Expanding Close
According to a new report, the smartphone market as a whole is expected to shrink in 2026 due to the rising costs of components.
Expand Expanding Close
Launching in early January, the Moto G Power (2026) is another variation on the familiar mid-range formula Motorola has been toying around with as of late.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung is now rolling out One UI 8 Watch, its Wear OS 6 update, to the Galaxy Watch 4 series in what is probably the smartwatch’s last major software update.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Search is full of hidden Easter eggs, with the latest additions recognizing John Cena’s retirement from wrestling as well as the “6-7” trend.
Expand Expanding Close
The OnePlus Open is picking up its Android 16 update in the US market following other regions.
Expand Expanding Close
IKEA has launched a trio of new Qi2 wireless chargers that are available in the US and other regions, ready for Pixel 10, and start at just $10.
Expand Expanding Close
As previously reported, Amazon is now more aggressively blocking apps on Fire TV with a focus on apps that enable piracy.
Expand Expanding Close
One of the lesser-known features that Google offers is a “Dark Web Report” monitoring tool, but it’s about to shut down in early 2026.
Expand Expanding Close
Waze appears to be testing out support for showing traffic lights along your route in navigation, a feature already available in Google Maps.
Expand Expanding Close
Google rolled out a major Pixel Watch update this week that, for Pixel Watch 4 owners, delivers support for new one-handed gestures. They’re super useful already, but do they measure up to the gestures Google introduced a decade ago?
Expand Expanding Close
I think it’s safe to say that Qi2 has been the most meaningful part of upgrading to the Pixel 10, at least for me. I’m finding magnetic accessories invaluable in day-to-day life, and I’m not alone. One of my favorite ways to use Qi2 on the Pixel 10 is with car chargers as it’s probably the most convenient place to use the tech, yet also one of the most frustrating.
Expand Expanding Close
Smart home lighting has become pretty predictable over the years, but Philips Hue has a pretty clever idea in its new Wall Washer light. After using it for a few months, I’m pretty impressed by it, but it doesn’t exactly buck the stereotype for Hue’s pricing.
Expand Expanding Close
Bands have been by far the biggest headache of owning a Pixel Watch, at least for me. Google’s first-party collection is surprisingly expansive, but also pricey. In the third-party space, options are often limited or of low quality, but I recently picked up a super cheap Pixel Watch band that feels just as good as Google’s “Active Sport” band, but at a fraction of the price.
Expand Expanding Close
Smart home cameras are everywhere now, and while there are some great ideas like the ones found in the dual-tracking Baseus X1 Pro, I continue to just wish everything worked better within the Google Home app.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s Stadia cloud gaming platform has been dead for the better part of 3 years now, but the sole piece of hardware, the Stadia Controller, has lived on. Now, as yet another arbitrary cutoff nears, Steam has quietly improved its support for the Stadia Controller.
Expand Expanding Close
A strange issue has left YouTube and YouTube TV apps inaccessible on the Nvidia Shield TV, but the issue is being addressed as we speak.
Expand Expanding Close
One of the most useful parts of any music streaming service is finding new songs via discovery, and that often comes in the form of playlists. Spotify, with the help of AI, is now launching a new “Prompted Playlists” feature that allows users to better control what appears in their playlists.
Expand Expanding Close