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
“Bubbles” are an underrated part of Android notifications, with WhatsApp apparently working to add support just like another Meta app already had.
Expand Expanding Close
YouTube has announced some new features rolling out in beta, including new side-by-side ads that show up right next to your content. Meanwhile, ads are showing up in the subscriptions feed for many YouTube users.
Expand Expanding Close
All eyes are on Samsung’s next book-style foldable, with the “Wide” release reportedly adopting a whole new form factor. According to a known leaker, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 “Wide” will have slightly different dimensions than initially expected, both in that it’s thinner and has an inner display more like an iPad.
Expand Expanding Close
TCL has launched its latest lineup of Google TV sets in the US, with some models already up to $2,000 off.
Expand Expanding Close
XREAL’s top-of-the-line One Pro glasses continue to be updated, and now, they’re also getting a price cut to $599.
Expand Expanding Close
Multiview is one of the best features to launch on YouTube TV for some time, but it’s always been restricted to certain channels. As previously teased, that’s finally changing.
Expand Expanding Close
Instagram is once again expanding its list of social apps, this time with “Instants,” which mimics a core part of Snapchat.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s Pixel 11 series is in the pipeline and, in the latest Android 17 beta release, we spotted a quick preview of the wallpapers set to debut on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
Expand Expanding Close
The new Motorola Razr Ultra is just days away from launch and, ahead of the announcement, new leaks show off the new flagship flip phone in its entirety.
Expand Expanding Close
Nothing has just launched “Essential Voice,” the latest expansion of the brand’s AI suite, which is a major upgrade to voice-to-text.
Expand Expanding Close
YouTube is turning to an expert in the field, SiriusXM, to provide improved ads for its audio-first content such as podcasts.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung is expanding its “Re-Newed” program of refurbished Galaxy devices to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, but the pricing leaves a lot to be desired – at the moment, it’s flat out just a bad deal.
Expand Expanding Close
If you’ve been trying to use the Twitter/X app on Android lately, you’ve probably noticed a whole host of issues. Thankfully, a fix is coming soon.
Expand Expanding Close
OnePlus hasn’t formally announced its next smartwatch – the brand as a whole is in question right now – but the new OnePlus Watch 4 has just been posted to a global OnePlus website, revealing nearly every detail about the Wear OS watch.
Expand Expanding Close
As AI continues to eat up the market’s RAM output, smartphones are in crisis as costs continue to skyrocket. A new report claims that Samsung is increasingly worried about this, and warning of its first-ever loss in its mobile division.
Expand Expanding Close
Honor has just unveiled its new budget-friendly Honor 600, with a pretty spec-heavy package wrapped up in an iPhone-inspired shell.
Expand Expanding Close
While there are a ton of different things I care about on my smartphone, the camera is a huge deciding factor. And, for a long time, Google Pixel has been my go-to thanks to its consistency and ease of shooting, but after a week with Oppo Find X9 Ultra, I think I might be carrying a new phone.
Expand Expanding Close
Microsoft is making big changes to Xbox under new leadership, including today announcing a major price cut for Game Pass Ultimate – the one with cloud gaming.
Expand Expanding Close
Chipolo has a big update on its Find Hub trackers for Android, with the battery life rating having just doubled because, as it turns out, they last longer than anyone expected.
Expand Expanding Close
Amazon has been hit with a class-action lawsuit over the death of its first-generation Fire TV products, devices that were released in the same era as Google’s original Chromecasts.
Expand Expanding Close
Nothing Warp was announced last week and then abruptly removed just hours later. Now, Nothing has revived Warp following some “fine tuning,” but you now need to sideload the app.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the rollout of the April 2026 update on Google Pixel phones, a widespread battery drain issue has hit, but the company is looking into the matter.
Expand Expanding Close
Samsung has a new pair of Galaxy Buds in the works, “Galaxy Buds Able,” which appear to have an open-ear design amid rumors of bone conduction.
Expand Expanding Close
Device information app Inware is getting a major update this week, with its 7.0 update delivering a Material 3 Expressive makeover and some new features as well.
Expand Expanding Close