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
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 is about as iterative as it gets with a smartphone upgrade, but one of the biggest changes actually comes from the accessories. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 still doesn’t have a built-in S Pen, but the new case and stylus design split the difference quite well.
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Mobile payments have become pretty much commonplace, but if you were hoping to use Google Wallet on the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s new “Flex Window” cover display, we regret to inform you that Samsung completely blocks the app from opening.
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The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s outer display is a massive upgrade over past models, in part because it supports a select few full apps. Among those supported without major modification are Google Messages and Google Maps, which can be very useful on the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
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During its Unpacked event today, Samsung broke the news that Amazon’s Audible is bringing an official app to Google’s Wear OS.
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Google has been making a big push for big screens lately, with the debut of Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet behind it. Now, though, Google is apparently “considering” a combination of the two with a foldable Pixel tablet.
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Alongside the Galaxy Watch 6 series, Samsung is introducing a new band connector for smartwatches as well as a new fabric band, and they’ll work across all modern Galaxy Watch models.
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The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a cover display that’s four times larger than previous models, but out of the box, it’s still not that useful. Luckily, a Good Lock module that Samsung offers for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 allows you to run any full Android app on the outer display. Here’s how it works.
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The new Galaxy Watch 6 series has arrived with the revival of the “Classic” model that brings back the fan-favorite rotating bezel, and it’s better than ever, but the big upgrade might just come from the thinner hardware.
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The big upgrade on Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the debut of a new, much larger cover display that’s actually capable of doing some useful things. But, what can you actually do on it? Here’s a quick look at all of the built-in features.
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Android tablets are making a comeback of sorts, and now the best Android tablets are getting a refresh. Galaxy Tab S9 isn’t an exciting lineup, but it’s refined to the point of just being a better version of what was already great.
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Samsung’s latest foldable smartphones have arrived in the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, and they’re very iterative. Here’s what’s actually new and what you should care about in any capacity on Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5.
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Samsung is now on its fifth generation of foldable smartphones, with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 being the culmination of the Fold series. But, on paper and in person, the Fold 5 feels basically unchanged despite its still-high price tag.
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So far in the foldable market, Samsung has found the most success with its flip phone. The new Galaxy Z Flip 5 doubles down on the form factor with updated specs and hardware and, more importantly, a bigger cover display.
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Samsung is unveiling its latest batch of foldable smartphones this morning into a market that’s more packed than ever. And, just a few weeks from now, OnePlus is also set to unveil the “OnePlus Open,” its first foldable that the brand has just confirmed the name of today.
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Meta’s Twitter rival, Threads, is rolling out one of its first big updates today with support for a new “Following” tab that shows threads in chronological order.
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Oppo’s activity in Europe has been a roller coaster over the past couple of years, but the story seems to be coming to a weird end in France, as Oppo has ceased distribution operations despite having won its patent case against Nokia.
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The Chromecast is arguably one of Google’s best pieces of hardware, and best software platforms too. The flexible standard makes it easy to send content from one device to another, whether that be audio, video, or still images. And Chromecast has now been in our lives for 10 years, but a new patent lawsuit against Google alleges that the company stole the idea for the tech.
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Screen mirroring is a very useful feature, but on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets the native option to do so has long been limited and hasn’t supported Google’s Chromecast platform. Now, though, that’s finally changing.
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Microsoft’s ChatGPT-powered Bing AI experience has long been locked to its own Edge browser, but now support for Google Chrome is available.
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Samsung is set to host its next Unpacked launch event for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 later this week, and there’s actually a ton to look forward to. Here’s everything you can expect at the event.
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Sony recently announced that it would be making a handheld for PlayStation 5 owners, currently known as “Project Q.” There’s not much known about the handheld right now, but a new leak shows that PlayStation Project Q is running Android.
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Samsung already announced that it will hold Unpacked 2023 in its home country of South Korea, and now, the company is opening reservations for its new foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 while confirming a July 26 launch date.
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In a new durability test, Motorola’s Razr+ foldable does end up breaking, but not in the way that you’d think.
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The Nothing Phone (2)’s software might just be its biggest asset – not based on its features but on its stability and polish. However, it does have some good features too. Nothing is now rolling out a monochrome icon pack for Phone (2) that themes not just supported icons but everything on your homescreen.
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