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 is preparing a new sales event that, among other discounts, will once again offer some boosted trade-in credits and even gift cards for anyone looking to buy a Galaxy S23 series device.
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Astrophotography has been an impressive feature of Google’s Pixel phones for a few generations at this point, but the Pixel Fold is breathing new life into that feature thanks to a happy design coincidence.
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Following the death of Google Stadia earlier this year, one of the platform’s very first games was left without a home. Now, though, Gylt is making its way to PC and consoles.
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The Pixel Fold has arrived with a premium price tag and some strong words from Google on the engineering behind it. But, as some have noticed, the Pixel Fold doesn’t seem to want to unfold completely flat.
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Yesterday at Google I/O 2023, it was announced that Google Bard would be undergoing a massive expansion, bringing the AI chatbot experiment to 180 countries. However, what Google didn’t mention is that Bard still isn’t available in the European Union.
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The Google Pixel Tablet isn’t a typical slate, with a focus on being helpful in the home. That includes integration with your smart home and Google Nest devices. Here’s what it looks like when the Pixel Tablet shows notifications from the Google Nest Doorbell.
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The Google Pixel Fold is very expensive, but Google Fi Wireless can give you one heck of a discount, with trade-ins valued at up to $1,000, or Google will just give you $700 off the device.
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Google’s first foldable launched yesterday, but it won’t go on sale until June. But if you were hoping to pre-order the Pixel Fold from your carrier, you’ll need to wait a while.
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The Google Pixel 7a is the company’s first smartphone to be made available in four different colors, but its “Coral” variant seems to come at an extra cost for some buyers.
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The Google Pixel Fold is a unique device for the Pixel lineup for several reasons, but one that’s easy to overlook is the size of the foldable, which looks very compact compared to the rest of Google’s phones.
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Google’s latest batch of Pixel smartphones couldn’t be more different, with the Pixel 7a being an affordable device launching for the masses, and the Pixel Fold as a super-expensive piece of futuristic tech. Here’s what countries the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold will be available in.
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Google I/O 2023 was a place for the company to show off its real strength in AI, and it also brought several updates and announcements on existing Google products. Here are some notable numbers and metrics from Google I/O 2023.
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The Google Pixel Fold is a pricey piece of hardware at $1,799, but Google is offering some pretty decent trade-in deals to help ease the blow.
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Android 14 is getting new betas on more devices, with the Oppo Find N2 Flip now the first foldable to gain access.
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Google’s strategy for quickly accessing smart home controls via Android devices has been uprooted multiple times over the past couple of years, and at Google I/O 2023, a new version was announced. “Home Panel” is a useful new lockscreen tool that adds smart home controls to your Pixel smartphone or tablet.
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After rolling out on Android last year, Google has announced that it will bring Matter support to the Google Home app on iOS soon.
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Google I/O was pretty quiet regarding Android 14, but a new beta dropped today for Pixel phones. On top of that, OnePlus is now joining in on the fun, with the first Android 14 Beta now available for OnePlus 11.
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When Android TV debuted back in 2014, many apps on the platform shared the same design language, but that disappeared over time as that UI became dated. Now, at I/O 2023, Google is introducing a new set of components for app developers to speed up developing apps for Android TV OS that brings a new look for those apps.
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Almost two years after effectively sealing the fate of the Nest app, Google is finally bringing its older Nest Cams into the Google Home app alongside new models.
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Google’s Android Automotive OS is coming to more cars and, with its Android 14 upgrade, it will be able to use multiple displays in a car. On top of that, there’s also a YouTube app coming to Android Automotive.
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Android Auto is getting a few new apps, with an app from The Weather Channel set to arrive this year, and support from Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and more for taking calls on the road.
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The Pixel 7a was just officially announced and is available starting tomorrow, but a Verizon-specific model will cost you a bit more.
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The Google Home app picked up a major revamp last year, and now that redesign is rolling out to the general public as it brings further updates for Wear OS and tablets.
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It’s still hard to believe, but Google just officially joined the foldable market, with the Google Pixel Fold launching today with pre-orders now open for $1,799. Here’s what it brings to the table.
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