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
Oppo’s Find N6 is arguably the single-best foldable on the market today, but there’s more in the pipeline. According to a new report, Oppo Find N7 might get a wider display and further crease improvements.
Expand Expanding Close
Some Google Pixel phones have been hit with bootloop issues, but a fix is now available, sort of.
Expand Expanding Close
As the streamer ages, a growing number of Chromecast with Google TV owners are noticing that their remotes are failing to stay paired, presenting some serious usability problems.
Expand Expanding Close
Announced earlier this year at MWC 2026, the Lenovo ThinkTab X11 is now available in the US as a rugged Android tablet with a removable battery, and it costs $499.
Expand Expanding Close
According to a new report, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will be getting a massive battery upgrade that will result in a power pack roughly twice the size of a normal Wear OS watch.
Expand Expanding Close
The first big Google TV Streamer of 2026 is here – yes, six months into the year. Timing aside, though, one of the bigger improvements here is support for Thread 1.4, which gives the Google TV Streamer more power as an anchor to your smart home.
Expand Expanding Close
There’s an inherent bit of joy that comes from using a Pebble smartwatch, but one thing that’s always made me hesitate is that Pebble’s health tracking is very basic, if it’s there at all. When I saw people strapping mechanical watches to the Fitbit Air, I had to do the thing.
So now there’s a Pebble on my Fitbit.
Expand Expanding Close
Google announced Wear OS 7 less than a month ago and, apparently, it’s already ready to roll out, as Verizon has let it slip that three Pixel Watch models are about to get the latest update.
Expand Expanding Close
Google One has long been offered as a way to expand the storage across products like Drive, Gmail, and Photos, but Google has been pivoting it towards a focus on AI. And while that’s compelling for some, the real value in Google’s AI storage subscriptions is now coming from everything else – and it’s simply one of the best deals in tech today.
Expand Expanding Close
As AI models get more powerful, there’s also going to be a level of danger. Anthropic announced Mythos not long ago as a model that was too dangerous for public availability, but a new version of that, Claude Fable 5, is now available and, apparently, “safe for general use.”
Expand Expanding Close
In what is now her second big partnership around Android, Google has named Paris Hilton as an “Icon in Residence” for Android, with a focus on what Android’s new AI tools can do for users.
Expand Expanding Close
The Pebble Round 2 smartwatch is set to start shipping soon, not long after Pebble Time 2 has become widely available to those who ordered.
Expand Expanding Close
Book-style foldables have been my daily phones for the past few years and, as we enter a new chapter, Motorola has delivered the Razr Fold as its long-awaited entry to the space. Put simply, it’s far better than I expected, but I also worry it may have arrived a bit too late.
Expand Expanding Close
Years after removing “dislike” button counts, YouTube is testing another change to its feedback system with a heart now replacing the “like” button, and “dislike” disappearing entirely for some.
Expand Expanding Close
Motorola’s UWB-equipped Moto Tag trackers for Android Find Hub are on sale right now, including both the first and second generation releases.
Expand Expanding Close
Following Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and a select few other Android devices, AirDrop over Quick Share support now appears to be rolling out on the OnePlus 15.
Expand Expanding Close
OpenAI has confirmed that it has filed for its initial public offering (IPO) just a week after Anthropic.
Expand Expanding Close
Beyond music and navigation, there are a lot of apps that might be useful on Android Auto, but a PDF app is maybe the furthest thing from anyone’s mind for an app to use in their car. Yet, Adobe Acrobat is now available on Android Auto.
Expand Expanding Close
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a great foldable, but battery life has never really been its strong suit. Making matters worse, recent updates such as One UI 8.5 seem to have had a major impact on battery life.
Expand Expanding Close
Announced earlier this year, the new “Wardrobe” feature of Google Photos is starting to roll out, but only for paid subscribers and only on Android.
Expand Expanding Close
A new report reveals that OpenAI is planning a major redesign to ChatGPT that focuses on AI agents and coding, rather than its roots as a chatbot.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Maps is invaluable behind the wheel and one of the key reasons anyone would want to use Android Auto, but a frustrating bug has left a number of Android Auto users with their directions stuck in a blindingly bright light theme at night.
Expand Expanding Close
Ever since the Pixel 10 was released last year, Qi2 magnets have been a love-hate relationship – I love using them, but I hate that, somehow, the Pixel 10 is the only Android phone that has them. It’s crazy to me that no other Android brand has taken this feature seriously, and that we still have no word of that changing.
Expand Expanding Close
Ahead of its launch sometime later this year, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 FE has surfaced online early, showcasing a familiar, but slightly updated design.
Expand Expanding Close