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
The smart home is set to be reinvented over the next few years largely thanks to the arrival of the Matter standard. Ahead of that fully launching, Samsung and Google have announced a partnership that will deepen how SmartThings and the Google Home app can work together.
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Earlier this month Google abruptly announced that Stadia would shut down in January 2023, but that left questions as to what would happen with Stadia’s exclusive games. Unfortunately for the super-fun title Outcasters, Google Stadia’s death will bring the game down with it.
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Following an announcement earlier this year, it seems app archiving on Android is coming together, as a working demo has been shown off.
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In an effort to expand past just your home theater, Roku has just announced its first foray into the smart home with cameras, smart plugs, and lighting that feel awful familiar.
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The Pixel Watch is the very first Wear OS smartwatch with Fitbit integration following Google’s multibillion-dollar acquisition of the company, but it comes with a couple of missing features. The Pixel Watch won’t support automatic workout tracking and some other Fitbit features.
Update: Google has confirmed the Pixel Watch lacks automatic workout detection. See below for more.
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Google’s latest smartphones bring a handful of useful changes in the hardware and the software, but some of the new software tricks will actually make their way back to the Pixel 6 series through future updates, Google has apparently confirmed.
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If you’ve been holding out to get a wireless adapter for Android Auto, today might be your day. AAWireless, the very first wireless Android Auto adapter and one of our favorites is getting its first discount for Amazon’s deal week.
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With the release of Android 12, Google revamped the battery usage stats page in settings and effectively made it fair less valuable. Now, with the first major update to Android 13, Google is making the battery usage page useful again.
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The smart TV market has largely consisted of a handful of popular platforms, and as we move forward, growth is becoming more and more difficult for smaller players. Now, Google TV is set to face a new challenge, as Samsung and LG are expanding their Tizen and WebOS-based platforms to other smart TV brands.
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After years of being offered on Google Pixel phones, Car Crash Detection finally made its way to another smartphone brand with Apple’s iPhone 14 series. However, it seems Car Crash Detection is being triggered mistakenly by a ride on a roller coaster – has that ever happened with your Pixel phone?
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The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 continue to push forward the foldable form factor, and Samsung hasn’t been shy in trying to entice customers to pick up these devices. For the rest of October, Samsung is bringing back some of its best pre-order perks for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4, including doubled storage for free.
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The Pixel Watch is finally here, and it certainly goes for a premium experience with a price to match. But one area that isn’t obscenely expensive is charging, with the Pixel Watch charger coming in at a relatively reasonable $30.
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If you just pre-ordered a Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, you’ll have a solid collection of choices for cases, as partners such as Bellroy, Zagg, and Tech21 have already announced cases.
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Google’s Android Auto just can’t seem to squash this one bug. After disappearing for ages for some and finally returning, the weather icon in Android Auto is gone for some yet again.
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Ahead of its Pixel 7 launch yesterday, Google proudly announced that the Pixel 6 with the addition of the Pixel 6a, the series has been Google’s “fastest-selling” to date.
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The Pixel Watch is Google’s very first smartwatch, but it leverages the history of the Wear OS platform and its near-decade of apps and watch faces. But what’s new? Here’s every watch face on the Pixel Watch, and all of Google’s pre-loaded Wear OS apps.
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The Pixel Watch is finally, actually, really here. After the better part of a decade waiting for Google to release its first smartwatch, you’ll soon be able to strap it onto your wrist. Following today’s launch event, we’ve had a chance to spend a few minutes with the Pixel Watch, so here’s a quick look at the hardware and, more importantly, our first real look at Wear OS 3 and Google’s software experience.
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The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro just went official as Google’s latest flagship phones, but at a glance, there’s not much new. So, what’s actually changed? Here’s everything we could find.
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The Google Pixel 7 just went official as Google’s “affordable flagship” for 2022. What’s new? Tensor G2, an updated camera setup, and more, but all for the same price tag.
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The Pixel 7 series is set to go official in barely an hour – in fact we’re writing this on the floor at the launch event – and a new report claims that Google has high hopes for the series.
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Google’s Wear OS revival comes to a head with the launch of the company’s own Pixel Watch, and with the boost that’s come from the Galaxy Watch’s success, Wear OS has seen much more interest when it comes to apps. Today, Google has released a redesigned version of its Phone app for Wear OS.
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If you’re using a Galaxy Watch device, the Samsung Health app is getting a welcome boost. The latest Samsung Health update brings support for a themed icon on Android 13, as well as support for Google’s Health Connect tool.
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We’re approaching the latest generation of Pixel, and the second flagship since Google’s soft reboot of the lineup. According to new data, Google will be unveiling the Pixel 7 as the device that finally pushes the series past 30 million smartphones sold since 2016.
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Google’s Pixel Watch is set to be officially unveiled tomorrow, but the leaks just keep coming. Today, another Pixel Watch retail leak pinpoints the size, both the thickness and diameter, of the smartwatch.
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