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
One of the best parts of Samsung’s flagship Android tablets has been the AMOLED displays, and with its upcoming Galaxy Tab S9, Samsung is apparently bringing that tech back to its smaller sizes.
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Wireless Android Auto is easier to get than ever before with handy little wireless adapters. Now, prices on those adapters are starting to drop, with a few options around $50. But do you lose anything by buying a cheap wireless Android Auto adapter for half the price? That’s what we’ve put to the test.
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Vivo is rumored to be one of the next brands to launch foldable smartphones, with both “Fold” and “Flip” devices en route. Now, we’re getting a better look at the Vivo X Fold 2 and Vivo X Flip, as well as what’s under the hood.
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Back in 2020, Google introduced a neat new feature on its Nest Hub smart displays which would add a theme to the timer to match certain types of food you were cooking, among other things. For a limited number of users, though, that feature has been broken for a few weeks.
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The Pixel Fold is on its way, and reportedly set to arrive with some new display tech from Samsung that even the company’s own Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 won’t be using yet.
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The OnePlus Pad was announced back in February alongside the OnePlus 11, but the company has yet to fully launch the tablet. That’s, finally, not too far away, and you can now “pre-order” the OnePlus Pad with a $100 deposit, but you’ll have to do that without knowing how much the product will actually cost.
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Google’s Pixel 7a is expected to arrive at Google I/O in just over a month, and now the phone has leaked in official-looking images.
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Google has an unfortunate reputation for killing products, and often it leads to an uproar from users. Sometimes, a dead Google product is just leading to a replacement, like the move from Google Play Music to YouTube Music. Other times, it’s a product that just doesn’t have all that many users. And other times, it’s just incredibly confusing and frustrating.
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Among a few other changes this week, the new Google Home app is also updating its “Climate” tab to show more types of devices such as fans.
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Connected garage door openers are a convenient and quick way to add some smarts to a key part of your home, but like any other piece of smart home gear, hackers can ruin the fun. This week, a vulnerability with smart garage door openers from Nexx has been exposed, showing hackers can control your garage door remotely.
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The Google Home app appears to be rolling out better support for select smart home devices, including curtains, heaters, appliances such as washers and refrigerators, and more.
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YouTube ads are a necessary evil to the platform, but at the very least YouTube gives users the option to skip certain ad blocks. However, for some, the warning that comes before ads arrive is broken.
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One of the first products to hit the market with Matter support was a smart plug from TP-Link, and now the brand is introducing a new version with energy monitoring.
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As Star Wars: Jedi Survivor kicks off 2023’s season of big game releases, the game’s updated storage requirements on PC are a good reminder of where cloud gaming can be beneficial.
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Google is updating its policy on personal loan apps on Android, banning the apps from accessing personal data on your phone including photos and your contacts list.
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The Google Home app has seen quite a few major improvements in the past several months, and the app is now expanding its support for cameras by adding streaming support for more camera models and brands.
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Just after it leaked earlier this week, DirecTV has officially launched its new “Gemini” streaming device based on Google’s Android TV.
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The Galaxy Watch 6 is expected to deliver some notable hardware upgrades over Samsung’s past couple of models, including a bigger display. Now, we’re getting a better idea of what that bigger display will bring to the table.
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Google’s Pixel Watch is one of the best smartwatches you can get for an Android phone, but one thing that can be a little annoying is the band situation. Google’s proprietary connector limits your choices. Several months in, though, what Pixel Watch bands have you been using?
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Best Buy is expanding its electronics recycling service with a new mail-in option that accepts smartphones, tablets, and more.
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Samsung has new foldables and a set of smartwatches in the pipeline for later this year, and apparently, also a new SmartTag and the Galaxy Buds 3. Google may have its own entry to the tracker space too, set for an I/O reveal.
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When Google launched Stadia, it put gaming industry veteran Phil Harrison at the lead. Now, it’s been confirmed Harrison has left the company.
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Cloud gaming has made it possible to run high-quality games on less powerful hardware, and really expanded where games can be played. Now, it’s being reported that Sony is working on a new PlayStation handheld that will ignore the company’s cloud gaming, and rather focus on streaming a nearby console.
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Microsoft’s Chromium-based Edge browser is adding a new feature, with better automatic blocking of autoplay videos and media on websites.
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