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
LG is done with making smartphones, but the company and its various sub-brands are still working on components for other smartphone makers. Ahead of CES 2023, LG Innotek has announced a new optical zoom module for smartphones that can shift between two points.
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In case you missed the news last week, Google announced that it had landed a deal with the National Football League to launch NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and YouTube TV starting in 2023, but a price was never mentioned. What will Sunday Ticket cost NFL fans on YouTube TV? A new estimate gives us an idea of what to expect.
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After launching on Pixel phones earlier this year, Android 13 is now headed to Samsung Galaxy devices en masse. Here’s what devices have already received their update, and which ones will get it over the coming months.
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The Galaxy S23 series is barely a month away from launch, and it sounds like the device will come with a new software version – One UI 5.1.
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Smartphones have reached a point of stagnation, with upgrades usually being fairly minor year to year. In 2022, there wasn’t a whole lot to get excited about, but two devices really stood out. Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro were, for a few reasons, the best smartphones of 2022.
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The Galaxy S23 series is likely just over a month away from launch, and as that date approaches, we’re hearing some new details about the two phones as well as a first look at some official-looking promo images of the lineup.
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The OnePlus 11 is coming up quickly, and after announcing a launch event in India coming in February, the brand has now confirmed more details. The OnePlus 11 will launch in China on January 4, and the first official pictures have arrived.
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Voice assistants have been getting a bit less attention over the past year compared to previous years, but it’s always fun to take a look at how they all compare with how we actually use them. To no one’s surprise, Google Assistant took the crown in a recent comparison, but it really shows the gap Assistant has over Siri, Bixby, and especially Amazon Alexa.
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The past few months have brought bad news for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, as Google has lessened its focus on the former, while the latter has seen massive layoffs. Now, there might finally be a local-only voice assistant on the horizon, if a project from the team behind Home Assistant works out.
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The month of December has gone by super quickly, and as the holidays approach, you might be running out of time to get gifts. If you still need a gift for someone in your life with an Android phone or who might be an Android enthusiast, here are our top picks that you can either buy locally, or get shipped quickly.
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A relatively widespread bug in Google Calendar is creating random events that stem from unrelated Gmail messages.
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LG shut down its mobile business in 2021, but not before committing to ongoing support for its existing devices. In early 2023, we’ll see further fruit from that effort, as the LG Velvet is set to get Android 13, and some other devices will also get further updates.
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After first tightening down free accounts in 2021, LastPass has now confirmed a major security breach that led to hackers getting their hands on password vaults. There’s never been a better time to move to another password manager, so here are a few tips on how to do so switch from LastPass and export all of your passwords.
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Google has been investing more and more into the Pixel lineup over the past couple of years, and now we might be getting a sneak peek at what’s to come later on as an alleged roadmap offers a few tidbits about the Pixel 8 and beyond.
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After years of turning a blind eye, Netflix is finally making moves to go after password sharing and in 2023, that’s going to affect the US.
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Google Stadia shuttered its first-party studios barely a year after it debuted, meaning no first-party exclusive games were ever announced, much less released. But there were several games that were released only on Stadia, and we don’t yet know what the future holds for these exclusives. Here’s what we know so far.
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Reports have made it clear that the Galaxy S23 launch event would take place in early February 2023, but now we’re getting some more specifics.
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After months of negotiations, YouTube has officially landed a major deal to bring NFL Sunday Ticket games to YouTube and YouTube TV starting in 2023.
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For the second year in a row, Google’s Pixel phones have topped the chart in a blind camera test, with Google Pixel 6a and Google Pixel 7 Pro taking the top two slots in the comparison.
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Starting in February 2023, Google Chrome will change up its release cycle slightly with a new “early stable” release designed to catch major issues before they hit all users.
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SimpliSafe is one of the best options for a comprehensive home security system, and it seems the lineup is soon to expand with a battery-powered indoor camera.
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Mobvoi’s TicWatch series brings solid value for a Wear OS smartwatch, but that might soon come with an added cost, as the company has just announced a new subscription model for adding sleep tracking features to the device.
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Wireless Android Auto adapters arrived en masse in 2022, with Carsifi being a solid option for those with more than one driver in their vehicle. Now, the Carsifi adapter for wireless Android Auto has arrived on Amazon, making it a bit easier to buy.
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The software commitment of Android OEMs has been getting much better in recent years, with Oppo now the latest brand to commit to four years of major Android updates and five years of security patches.
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