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
Discovery+ launched not long ago, but its future is in flux under the upcoming merger of Discovery and Warner Bros. But in the meantime, customers are losing out on one of the streaming service’s best features, as Discovery+ has just ditched support for channels.
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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S23 series won’t bring a ton of new features to the table, but a new rumor claims that the Galaxy S23 Ultra in particular will be upgrading portrait video to better match the iPhone’s version of the feature.
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Google announced the long-awaited “Coolwalk” redesign for Android Auto earlier this year, but as time goes on, the update is still only headed to a select few users. Now, Android Auto 8.7 is widely rolling out, but it still doesn’t bring the revamp.
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The wonderful thing about Google TV is the platform’s ability to look through various streaming services and help you find out where shows and movies are available. But, strangely, HBO Max has disappeared from Google TV over the past couple of days.
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In the last two weeks, Twitter has introduced a new “For You” tab that is the default page every time you open the app. Today, Elon Musk has confirmed it won’t be forced for much longer.
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Last year India hit Google with a minor fine over its control over the Android platform. The country’s Supreme Court has now upheld the decision and the demands that go along with it, which may force the Play Store to allow third-party app stores as soon as next week.
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Google launched Android TV in 2014, but it took several years for the platform to really establish itself as a serious player. Now, “Android TV” is on its way out as Google TV takes the reins.
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After six seasons on two different streaming platforms, the hit show Cobra Kai has been confirmed to come to an end.
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As ChatGPT took the world by storm in recent months, it’s also since come out that major publication CNET has been publishing articles written by AI. Apparently, Google Search won’t be penalizing that content.
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Google Stadia was never a perfect product, but it was the first real cloud gaming play that many people experienced. As the platform shut down earlier this week, one last gaming session reminded me of the best, and the worst, that Stadia had to offer.
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Foldable smartphones continue to advance year after year, and Samsung is still experimenting with what’s next. Back at CES 2023 earlier this month, the company showed off a “Flex In & Out” concept that apparently makes use of a “waterdrop” hinge that’s similar to what’s coming in the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
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After debuting on iOS last week and also since coming to the web, Twitter is now rolling out the “For You” tab on Android devices.
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Google’s Pixel Watch debuted in October to overall good impressions, but for many, a weird bug has surfaced where the smartwatch gets stuck on a worrisome “preparing to update” screen.
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Twitter issued an update to its developer agreement on January 19, 2023 that officially banned third-party clients for the social network.
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If you’re having trouble with YouTube TV on your Apple TV this week, you’re not alone. A recent update has broken the live channel guide.
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Fast charging has been a staple of OnePlus smartphones for years, but customers in the United States have been getting slower speeds in recent generations compared to the rest of the world. With the OnePlus 11, it seems that will remain true, as 100W charging won’t be available in the US.
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Rolling out now, the SoundCloud app for Android is adding support for direct messages, ahead of iOS even offering the feature.
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Samsung is rolling out an update to SmartThings on Galaxy Watch, opening up more smart home controls and the ability to view live feeds from Google’s Nest cameras.
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Announced at CES 2023 earlier this month, Nvidia is now rolling out GeForce Now Ultimate in select regions.
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On January 18, 2023, Google officially shut down its one and only cloud gaming platform. Curious what the death of Stadia actually looked like? Here’s a quick look.
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After 1,156 days of streaming games from the cloud, Google Stadia has officially shut down. RIP.
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Over a month after it arrived on iOS and the web, Twitter Blue is finally available on Android.
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The Galaxy S23 series is set to launch on February 1 with a special version of the latest Snapdragon chip.
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As e-ink technology continues to improve, devices using it can become more and more advanced. Today, Onyx has released a new high-end Android tablet called the Boox Tab X, which has a 13.3-inch e-ink display.
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