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
Over the past several weeks, it’s come out that Eufy security cameras and video doorbells have been subject to some glaring security issues as well as directly betraying marketing claims for privacy. Tonight, the brand has finally publicly acknowledged these issues while still downplaying some key aspects of the story.
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Android Auto just launched its major redesign in beta, but with Waze missing support for the split-screen dashboard feature. Now, it’s confirmed that support is just around the corner.
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While it’s certainly no flagship, Lenovo’s latest Android tablet in the Tab M9 looks like a fine option for content consumption at a super affordable price point.
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After showing up earlier this year in a false start, the Philips Hue app seems to now be rolling out its “Natural Light” scene to more users with the ability to change the color temperature of lights in your home throughout the day.
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With Google Stadia set to shut down in less than a month, Ubisoft is now offering more details on how Stadia players can keep their games on PC.
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The Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 represented the first major camera upgrade on Google’s smartphones since the original Pixel, but it seems the Pixel 8 could be the next notable upgrade.
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The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook is the first new Chromebook we’re hearing about ahead of CES 2023, and it looks like it will be a killer offer in the budget market with an affordable price, but lots of premium features.
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Google hosted an event in India earlier today that revealed new features headed to Search in the country, including support for in-video search and multisearch.
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Running Android apps on Windows has always been possible thanks to emulators, but it’s gotten a lot better with the Windows Subsystem for Android. Now, Microsoft is really proving just how good it is at providing Android updates, with progress on Android 13 for Windows 11 moving along very quickly.
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Google Stadia may not have been the most popular way to play games in the past few years, but for those it did service, it reignited a flame for gaming because it did so in a way that nothing else really could. After three years of making Stadia a core part of how I play games, its shutdown leaves a void, but one that the Steam Deck has been helping me to fill.
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It’s easier than ever to get wireless Android Auto in your car thanks to adapters, and the first company to tackle that goal was AAWireless. Now, AAWireless is making a couple of moves behind-the-scenes including pulling production of the device out of China and revamping the packaging.
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If you have trouble understanding what your doctor just wrote down for you, Google Lens might just be able to help in the future.
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Yesterday’s World Cup final turned out to have a crazy ending, and courtesy of that roller coaster, Google Search saw its highest traffic ever.
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OnePlus has today confirmed that its next major flagship smartphone – the OnePlus 11 – and new earbuds will arrive at an event in February.
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Google Stadia is set to shut down on January 18, and ahead of that date, Ubisoft is now rolling out PC copies of games to players who purchased games on Google’s platform.
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Anker’s Eufy has been under intense scrutiny over the past two months, with its cameras being revealed not only to boldly lie about “local-only” storage but also to have glaring security holes that the company refuses to acknowledge. Now, the company is removing those promises from its website.
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Nvidia just revealed that the Shield TV will lose its native GameStream support in the new year.
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It’s no secret at this point that there’s a Google Pixel Fold in the pipeline, and all signs point to the hardware being quite similar to the Oppo Find N2. Is that the right choice? Personally, I have mixed feelings.
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To say things at Twitter have been a bit chaotic lately is an understatement, but there is a positive note in the latest update on Android – Twitter supports themed icons now.
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Google Maps is a powerful tool for navigating our world, but it doesn’t have a ton of strong competition. That may soon change, though, as a new mapping initiative backed by Meta, Microsoft, and other big names gets going in the “Overture Maps Foundation.”
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Smartwatches are capable of a lot, but you’ll often find that most apps on Wear OS and other platforms focus on simplifying data. Last year, Samsung launched a full-fledged web browser for Wear OS that mysteriously disappeared, but now, it’s back.
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Samsung is expected to unveil its next flagship lineup, the Galaxy S23 series, in February. Ahead of the new year, though, a handful of dummy units offer a first look at what the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra look like in person.
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When Google Stadia shuts down on January 18, players will also lose their save data if they haven’t backed it up already. While some games can use Stadia save files on other platforms such as PC, others have required developer support to port over. This week, we’re finally learning how Hitman players will be able to rescue their Stadia saves.
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Foldable smartphones aren’t exactly “new” anymore, but there are still only a few options and a lot of room for improvement. Today Oppo announced the Find N2 series, which builds on the company’s first foldable and is perhaps one of the most polished foldable smartphones released to date.
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