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
Android Auto is in the midst of a redesign, and with that has come some big changes to the platform. One of those changes is ditching the persistent, glanceable weather icon in Android Auto’s status bar. But some good news, that’s finally fixed on the original look.
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It’s incredibly common for some people to use insecure passwords, but some choices are worse than others. As it turns out, there’s a growing number of people using “samsung” as their password. If that includes you, please stop.
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Samsung is now bringing Android 13 to the Galaxy S20 FE and the Galaxy S21 FE, starting in select regions.
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If you’ve been having issues between Android Auto and Pixel phones, Google might have some good news for you. In an update to its known issues thread, Google says that the Android 13 update on Pixel phones should fix some calling issues when using Android Auto.
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Samsung is blasting through its Android 13 update, now bringing the update to more devices in the United States as well as abroad.
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The Raspberry Pi is a super-affordable machine that can handle a ton of different use cases, and now it’s also one of the first devices that you can install Android TV 13 on, though it’s not particularly easy to do.
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Android 13 has rolled out pretty quickly to devices, and Samsung has been pushing its rollout hard over the past couple of weeks. In a press release this week, Samsung is bragging on its speedy rollout, and teasing that it wants next year’s cycle to be even faster.
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Yesterday it was confirmed that the upcoming OnePlus 11 would be running on top of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and now we’re hearing a few more details about what the device might bring to the table, including a ceramic build and faster UFS 4.0 storage.
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Following Google’s announcement of the closure of Stadia, Xbox’s Phil Spencer is coming forward with some comments about the shutdown in a new interview.
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As Samsung continues its Android 13 rollout, the company has just brought the update to the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4, as well as last year’s affordable Galaxy A52.
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If you’ve been hoping to pick up a Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the Google Store has yet again boosted trade-in values for a limited time.
Update: Added trade-in values for mid-November as Black Friday deals go live.
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If you use Netflix on Google devices and have been running into issues lately, you’re not alone. Netflix integration with Google products and the Google Home app is largely broken right now.
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Android Auto finally released its long-awaited redesign last week, but without room for new users to join in on the fun. Over the past day or so, Google appears to have opened up a few more slots for the Android Auto beta program.
Update 11/17: The Android Auto program appears to be full yet again. See below for more.
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Android Auto is currently beta testing its next generation, but some users without the update are seeing an issue as an Android Auto bug has broken non-touchscreen rotary controls, specifically with Google Maps.
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After several teasers, there’s now an official Deezer app on Wear OS smartwatches.
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YouTube has been building out its competitor to TikTok over the past couple of years, and it’s quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. After announcing revenue sharing recently, YouTube Shorts is expanding the use of licensed music to up to 60 seconds.
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After a recent “cost-cutting review,” Amazon has started cutting jobs through the company, with layoffs quickly hitting those who worked with Amazon Alexa and Amazon Luna.
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Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 yesterday, and we already know one of the first phones that will use it. Unsurprisingly, the OnePlus 11 will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
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Twitter is in a turbulent state right now, but development on Android is pushing forward. In its latest updates, Twitter for Android is adding a themed icon on Android 13, support for the new Twitter Blue subscription, and teasing a rebranding of Super Follows.
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If you’re in the market for a Wear OS 3 smartwatch, a new option is right around the corner. Fossil Group has just announced the latest Diesel smartwatch, the Diesel Griffed Gen 6, which launches soon for $350.
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One of the most popular YouTube channels out there, PewDiePie, has now dropped the title of the most subscribed-to channel. Now, MrBeast is the YouTube creator with the most subscribers.
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As cloud gaming has improved, Microsoft has been not-so-secretly working on an Xbox streaming device known as “Keystone,” but as it turns out a big part of the reason the company canned the project was its price.
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The latest Fitbit smartwatches are the first available under Google’s reigns, and as such they’re adding support for a couple of key Google services. After launching Google Wallet today, we’re now getting a first look at Google Maps integration on the Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4.
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The Moto 360 was one of the first great smartwatch options on top of Google’s Android Wear, but it fell out of favor in later years. The name was brought back from another brand later on, but in lieu of a proper sequel to that device, the “Moto Watch” line has instead appeared, with a new “Moto Watch 70” and “Moto Watch 150” apparently right around the corner.
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