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 few days, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 owners have been seeing the Galaxy Wearable app crashing, refusing to launch, and in any case just not working. But luckily, there seems to be a fix.
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If you’ve noticed Android Auto not working properly and showing a black screen in its wireless form over the past few days, you’re not alone. The latest update seems to be causing issues for some.
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Google first launched its revamped TV platform in 2020 on the Chromecast with Google TV, and now the device is finally on its way to India.
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We’re still about a month away from the launch of the Galaxy Watch 5 series, the next Wear OS flagship, and the leaks are really starting to flow for the lineup. Tonight, Samsung’s own website has confirmed the model numbers of the Galaxy Watch 5 series.
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The Xiaomi 12 Lite just went official for international markets, bringing with it an affordable price, a high-resolution camera, and more.
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Samsung’s Galaxy flagships have long used two different chips depending on where you buy them, but it seems the Galaxy S23 series will be an outlier in that regard, using Snapdragon chips globally.
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Google Stadia is offering up Journey to the Savage Planet this weekend for free, while the release of the Outriders “Worldslayers” expansion has brought the Stadia port back up to speed with crossplay support.
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Google’s 2022 hardware lineup kicks off in just a couple of weeks with the Pixel 6a and Pixel Buds Pro set to go up for pre-order later this month. Based on everything we know so far, are you planning to get either?
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LG is long gone at this point, but the company isn’t quite done supporting its existing smartphones. Today, LG has released the Android 12 update for the LG V50 ThinQ in the US.
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After months of uncertainty, it was today officially announced that Saints Row will be released on Google Stadia the same day as other major platforms.
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Last year, Google refreshed the Nest camera lineup for the first time in several years, but it also came with a change on the software side of things. The Google Home app is supposed to replace the Nest app, but the transition period has been a maddening limbo. Nearly a year later, virtually nothing has changed on that front either.
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Windows 11 brought with it a way to easily run Android apps directly on PCs, and for July 2022, Microsoft is updating that system with a few key tweaks.
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Small Android flagships are a dying breed, but there’s at least one brand still trying. This week, the Asus Zenfone 9 has leaked, showing off the compact smartphone in all its glory.
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Android Auto is a great platform for keeping connected to maps, music, and messages while behind the wheel, but it also seems to be hit with bizarre bugs from time to time. Currently, Google is trying to fix an issue that’s seeing limited impact, but causing some Android Auto users to see huge icons.
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Google Chrome is the world’s most popular internet browser, but it’s also notorious for eating up battery life in many cases. However, a new behind-the-scenes change may help that going forward.
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Last week Google’s Gboard keyboard finally launched a split keyboard option but only for foldable devices. As it turns out, the split keyboard in Gboard also works on Microsoft’s Surface Duo.
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Mobile games continue to improve in quality every year, and now Ubisoft is bringing its popular shooter series The Division to Android and iOS with the upcoming title “Resurgence.”
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Advertising is a necessary evil in today’s internet landscape, but sometimes it can be too invasive. If the Google-backed company “Glance” gets its way, you’ll probably start seeing more Android phones with lockscreen ads in the United States.
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Google Photos is in the midst of changing up its UI yet again, this time with a revamped pop-up UI for sharing photos and videos directly from the library.
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Epic Games first brought Rocket League to mobile devices last year with “Sideswipe,” and now the game is entering Season 4 with a bunch of new perks for players.
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Xiaomi today launched its latest flagship Android smartphone in the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, but this one is exclusive to the Chinese market.
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Google TV is delivering a new way to give you recommendations, with a “What to Watch” show from Entertainment Weekly available now.
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If you use Microsoft Outlook for your email needs, Microsoft is about to release a new “Lite” app on Android to keep the app running as fast as possible.
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Google is rolling out a new update for Android Auto with the version number 7.9, just in time for the previous update to finally be rolling out more widely.
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