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
Verizon is shaking up its cellular plans, with a new “My Plan” setup that allows customers to pick and choose the perks and features they want. But it comes with a catch, which is that it’s probably going to be more expensive.
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As the foldable market is finally seeing competition across the globe, it seems Samsung is pulling out all the stops for the launch of its Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, even moving up the release date quite a bit.
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According to a new report, Google’s growing number of Pixel owners are also the most likely to consider switching to other brands on their next upgrade, creating a problem for brand loyalty.
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A recent Google app update was found to be causing issues with battery drain and overheating on Google Pixel phones. Now, Google has confirmed a fix is rolling out.
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Pixel phones have been neglected when it comes to case and accessory options for a while, but that’s slowly changing. This week, another new style of Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro case has arrived – this time with the super unique wood cases from Carved.
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Google Bard picked up a major update at Google I/O, with new languages and over 180 new countries, and now another update is improving Bard’s ability to provide summaries of information and tell you where that information has come from.
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TCL has today launched its 2023 smart TVs with Google TV, with the TCL Q Class starting at $499 with 4K support and a variety of sizes and features, and the S Class keeping with affordable TVs that also pack Google TV.
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If you’re a Sonos user on Android, a useful feature is going away. Local media files will soon no longer be supported by the Sonos app on Android.
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For many, TV has once again become free on the back of ad-supported services and, now, one brand is hoping to take that a step further. “Telly,” a product from the co-founder of Pluto TV, is a dual-screen TV that is completely free because it shows you ads constantly.
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Mobvoi appears to finally be approaching the launch of its long-awaited TicWatch Pro 5, as the company is unleashing a campaign of teasers.
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It seems that Amazon’s Luna service is preparing for a future on Google TV and Android TV devices, as the company’s app now works on the platform and has native integration.
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The European Union has today approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, but with a call for Activision titles to be freely available to all cloud gaming providers going forward.
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In 2019 Google was accused of running “deceptive” radio ads for its Pixel 4 series, and the company is now set to pay out $8 million in a settlement as a result.
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YouTube TV has been a cord-cutting go-to for many, and the service continues to grow in the live TV space as, so far this year, every other option has shrunk.
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A big trend in smartphones over the past few years has been the “periscope” zoom camera, and it seems OnePlus will finally adopt the tech in an upcoming release.
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Walmart’s super-cheap Android TV boxes from 2021 went above and beyond when it comes to updates, and despite having a new model now on the market, Walmart is still pushing fresh updates to those devices.
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If you’re using a Pixel 6 or Pixel 7 series device, you might want to hold off updating to the May 2023 security patch if you haven’t already, as the update seems to be wreaking havoc with battery life and heat.
Update 5/15: Google has identified the cause of this issue and has rolled out a fix. Read more
High-end Chromebooks used to be a tough product to recommend, but years of advancement in ChromeOS and the changing world of work have left the form factor a pretty desirable product for many. HP has offered many Chromebooks with high-end specs, but it wasn’t until the Elite Dragonfly that we saw a true flagship, which was unfortunately wildly expensive. But now, there’s an easy recommendation for the best high-end Chromebook, the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook.
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Google I/O 2023 dominated this past week, with big news from all of Google’s products with a special focus on AI efforts. Here’s everything we saw at Google I/O 2023, and why that focus on AI was so crucial.
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Oppo has experimented with its own chips in smartphones over the past few years, but it seems that is coming to an end as the company has abruptly shut down its chip design unit.
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Wireless Android Auto adapters are super useful, and Motorola’s MA1 might be one of the most straightforward options. Now, the Motorola MA1 adapter is making its way to the UK and countries in Europe.
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Motorola’s next flagship foldable is right around the corner, and today a whole batch of Motorola Razr 40 Ultra images have hit the web, showing off the foldable in high quality from every angle in all colors.
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Matter has the promise of finally uniting the smart home under one standard, and slowly, that promise is coming to reality. Currently, Google is rolling out an update to its Nest Thermostat that adds support for Matter and allows the thermostat to be linked with Apple HomeKit. Here’s how it works.
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The Google Pixel Tablet is set to launch in June, and based on its Google I/O unveiling and everything we’ve seen so far, it seems like a compelling product. But the Pixel Tablet’s biggest strength also leaves it without some expected first-party accessories. This tablet ignores productivity users, but that might be a great decision on Google’s part.
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