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 13 is finally here and rolling out to Pixel phones, but it’s not exactly a major update. One change you might notice after installing Android 13, though, is that your clipboard is empty after a certain period of time.
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Since many smartphones seem to avoid flashy colors in exchange for boring designs, cases are a chance to express personality and interests. Today, Casetify is debuting a new collection of cases for Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and other popular smartphones that are all themed after the Toy Story movie franchise.
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Dark mode made its way to most apps over the past couple of years, but there have still been some hold-outs. For disc golf players, the excellent UDisc scorekeeping app has just picked up support for dark mode across Android and iOS.
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Battery life is one of the key areas of improvement for the Galaxy Z Flip 4, but there’s a boost hiding beneath the surface. In One UI 4.1.1 on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4, Samsung has added a battery-boosting performance profile.
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Android 13 is now available for select Google Pixel devices ahead of rolling out to the wider Android ecosystem. While it’s not a major upgrade, there’s a fair bit to get excited about – here’s how to install Android 13 on Google Pixel devices.
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OnePlus officially launched its first Android 13 beta last week to the OnePlus 10 Pro, and now there’s already a second build in Oxygen OS 13 Beta 2, which is available in Europe.
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Foldables are still a relatively young market, but Samsung is proving that it’s one that has customers. Now, as Oppo prepares two new devices, it seems more sure than ever that OnePlus will join the foldable market sooner rather than later.
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Windows 11 famously made it an exhaustive chore to change your default browser, but it has since eased up quite a lot. Now, Google Chrome is rolling out the ability to become your default browser on Windows with a single click.
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Foldable smartphones finally caught some traction with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and, even more so, the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Now, as the next round hits the market, Samsung believes that over the next few years, foldables will become the brand’s most popular premium smartphones.
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Google Stadia is picking up a new way to handle game trials, as it rolls out a new Party Stream feature and prepares to add more games to its library.
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Last year Google Maps added support for showing routes that are eco-friendly and fuel-saving in the United States, with the promise that those routes would expand in the future. Now, Google Maps is bringing fuel-saving routes to Germany.
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It’s only been two days since Samsung officially unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, with a release date set for August 26. However, pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 are already starting to move toward shipping, hinting at an early arrival.
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Samsung owns the foldable market in the United States, but its one historical challenger is preparing to make a better competitor. Motorola just unveiled the Razr 2022, a Galaxy Z Flip-style foldable that finally competes with Samsung spec for spec.
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Do you remember when Razer, the PC gaming brand, made its own smartphone? The Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2 are mostly forgotten memories at this point, and now the brand is closing the door on its Theme Store for those devices.
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Samsung’s foldable phones are not cheap, and getting them fixed was often one of the biggest headaches. Now, Samsung has slashed the repair costs for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 dramatically.
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Google Wallet has only been on the scene for about a month, but Google is already working toward some of its next big features. This week, behind-the-scenes developments hint at support for showing your ID at TSA checkpoints using Google Wallet.
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Samsung can take credit for helping give Wear OS new life, and it’s an effort that’s paying off for everyone. During Unpacked today, Google revealed a few new features coming to Wear OS later this year, including a revamped Play Store and better Google Maps support.
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The Galaxy Note is dead, but it lives on through Samsung’s other flagships. While the Galaxy S22 Ultra is quite literally a Note reincarnate, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 showed how the S Pen could work with a foldable canvas. Now, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is picking up the same tricks, but finally solving the problem of S Pen storage.
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Wear OS is getting a couple of big new media apps later this year as SoundCloud and Deezer have been confirmed to arrive on the platform.
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Trying to pre-order one of Samsung’s new devices? Well, if you’re trying to do that at Samsung.com, you’re probably not alone in struggling to submit a pre-order and watching the site crashing.
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Samsung today unveiled its Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, the latest foldables that stand in a market they basically own. Ahead of the launch, there were rumors regarding Samsung addressing the display crease on the Fold 4 and Flip 4. Did that pan out? Let’s take a look.
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Samsung’s foldable smartphones are a bit less pricey than earlier iterations, but they’re still expensive smartphones. Thankfully, Samsung and its partners offer some of the best deals on pre-orders in the business – here’s where to pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4.
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Google released Android 12L earlier this year with an updated focus on tablets and foldables, and now it’s finally getting the chance to flex that muscle. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 ships with Android 12L and its stellar taskbar, and the same is coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 too.
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Samsung has been the leader in foldable smartphones since the product first hit the market, largely because the company had a first-mover advantage. But three years later, there’s more competition out than ever before, and even more on the horizon. With its new Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4, Samsung isn’t reinventing the wheel. Instead, it’s fixing the biggest problems.
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