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
In case you hadn’t heard, Google is working on a new, cheaper version of its Chromecast with Google TV streaming device, and it’s due for release pretty soon. Now, we’re getting a closer look at the hardware, which appears mostly unchanged.
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We’re still a few months out from the debut of the Galaxy S23 series, but rumor has it things won’t be changing much from the existing Galaxy S22 series. According to a fairly reliable tipster, the Galaxy S23 will carry forward with the same screen size and display resolution across the lineup.
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eSIM is the next big thing in cellular connectivity, and while Apple is going all in on it, it’s clear the Android world has a lot of work to do. Let’s take a look at the state of eSIM on Android and how things work across different smartphones, carriers, and more.
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After teasing its arrival, SoundCloud is now available on Wear OS, but only in a beta for now.
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As Google works to further improve accessibility on Android, the company is also making efforts on the big screen. Now, Google TV will begin to showcase content that has audio descriptions available.
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Ahead of its own Pixel Watch hitting the market, Google has today announced the Bitmoji for Wear OS watch face which is available now for Wear OS smartwatches.
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Qualcomm’s next-gen chip is set to be announced a bit earlier than usual this year, and apparently, that’s opening the door to the first new device with the chip arriving before 2022 is done. According to a new rumor, OnePlus will unveil one of the first devices with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 before the end of the year.
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Google’s next Pixel finally has a launch date. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will debut on October 6, and they’ll bring the Tensor G2 chip along with them. While Tensor’s first generation left a lot of room for improvement, it’s energy efficiency and heat generation that needs the most attention this time around.
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Apple today unveiled the iPhone 14 lineup, Apple Watch Series 8, Watch Ultra, and Watch SE 2. All of these new products bring with them a long-standing feature from Google’s Pixel lineup, Car Crash Detection, in a case of tech companies copying each other to the benefit of everyone.
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Risk of Rain 2 is one of our favorite games on Google Stadia, but it’s been broken for the past few weeks. Here’s what’s going on.
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Google’s Android Auto just rolled out a test version of its app to some users by mistake, and meanwhile the company is also working to fix issues when using the platform with Samsung’s latest foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4.
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Over four years after it first hit the market, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 has officially been pulled from the company’s support schedule, meaning software updates have likely come to an end.
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Huawei was once one of the biggest names in the smartphone industry, but the continued effects of a US ban that cut off the company to Google services have made the company largely irrelevant outside of China. Now, in an attempt to one-up Apple, Huawei has revealed the Mate 50 series just hours ahead of the iPhone 14, and it beats that device to the punch on a key feature.
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Qualcomm has just announced its latest mid-range chips, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 which bring more efficient designs and more premium features to affordable Android smartphones.
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After debuting on Stadia earlier this year, Five Nights at Freddy’s Security Breach is adding support for a Stadia-exclusive feature, Crowd Choice.
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The Chromecast with Google TV first launched almost two full years ago, and it seems the second step in Google’s streaming lineup is incoming. The low-end Chromecast with Google TV, known unofficially as the “HD” model, is apparently right around the corner, and pricing is finally being hinted at.
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Polk Audio has just debuted a new flagship soundbar in the MagniFi Max AX, a high-end option that delivers support for Dolby Atmos, Chromecast integration, and more.
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Capcom became one of the first customers for Google’s “Immersive Stream for Games,” a white-label version of the same tech that powers Stadia, by debuting a streaming demo for Resident Evil Village. Now, though, that demo is shutting down.
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Fitbit first launched Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications in the United States earlier this year, with signs of AFib and more automatically being sent to users. Now, Fitbit has expanded Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications globally, with over 20 countries across Europe and more now supported.
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While the Android ecosystem as a whole has been getting better about long-term support and the speed of updates, EU lawmakers are now pushing for a set standard for Android updates that just so happens to mirror what Google offers on the Pixel 6.
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Two big updates are headed out to Galaxy devices starting this week, as Samsung has just announced Android 12L for its older foldable smartphones, as well as Wear OS 3.5 for the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
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The Pixel 7 series has already been officially shown off by Google, but as the launch nears, a new video shows off a very brief unboxing of the Pixel 7 Pro.
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Earbuds have become a dime a dozen in today’s market, and there are some really good options for not much money. So why should anyone even consider spending $230 on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro? Let’s take a look.
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Google Stadia just released its Pro lineup for September 2022, bringing one more new title to the platform. But the bigger news was around Ubisoft, which confirmed that “Assassin’s Creed Mirage” is the next installment of the franchise.
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