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
We’re almost three full generations past Google’s Pixel 4 series – which was a flop – but the hardware isn’t gone for good. While we argue it deserves more software updates, the Pixel 4 and its face unlock cameras are being used to further medical research for diseases, including Alzheimer’s.
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Fitbit trackers and smartwatches are a great way to keep track of your progress to get healthier, but they also picked up a way to warn you of heart problems with AFib detection. Now, in just a couple of months since launch, Fitbit’s Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications have amassed over 2 million users.
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As TikTok has taken over the internet, YouTube Shorts has become a focus for the platform in growing its userbase. Since its launch, YouTube Shorts has now amassed over 1.5 billion users.
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Featured Snippets in Google Search are a great way to get quick answers to your queries, but sometimes one answer isn’t enough. Now, Google Search is testing out a new design for Featured Snippets that shows more websites.
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Earlier this month, Google announced that its YouTube TV service would finally be rolling out support for 5.1 surround sound on more platforms. Now, the surround sound update is actually rolling out to Android TV and Google TV with the latest YouTube TV app.
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Last year’s Hisense U8G is a stellar TV, but its latest update on top of Android TV has been causing issues with audio cutouts. Thankfully, there’s a fix on its way.
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A good stylus can make or break the experience of using a tablet for some, but often pens are limited to just a single type of device. That problem is what the Universal Stylus Initiative aims to solve, but with USI 2.0, things aren’t quite so “universal,” as it breaks support for older pens.
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In 2020 Samsung debuted the “Fan Edition” series as a middle ground between the affordable A-Series devices and the flagship Galaxy S lineup. But with just two generations under its belt, it sounds like Samsung will be saying goodbye to the Galaxy S FE series.
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YouTube is a great way to share videos, build an audience, and share your creativity. But the platform has always made it difficult to fix a video with problems in it. Now, YouTube is finally adding a way for creators to correct a video without the need to re-upload the entire thing.
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We’ve all broken a screen at some point or another, and it’s not a particularly cheap fix. For a limited time, though, Samsung will repair a cracked screen on a Galaxy smartphone for just $50.
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Android 13 is in development for Samsung, but it seems the company is finally ready to adopt Android 12L as the underlying base of its One UI skin.
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Samsung’s next batch of foldable smartphones is right around the corner, and this weekend, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has leaked in its first real-life shots.
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The past year for Stadia has been an interesting one, but it’s become clear that Google has a bigger priority going forward. If the past few weeks are evidence of anything, Immersive Stream for Games is Google’s path forward in gaming.
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First announced last year, Google TV is officially rolling out its revamped screensaver that brings “Proactive Personalized Results” to your TV.
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The messaging platform Telegram has always been free, but some recent revelations have made it clear that will be changing. Today, Telegram founder officially announced that “Telegram Premium” will be coming later this month, and cleared the air on what that will mean for the platform.
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It’s been almost a month since Google unveiled the Pixel Buds Pro, the culmination of its three prior pairs of earbuds. There’s a lot to love about the active noise cancellation, audio promises, and more, but I still can’t stop thinking about Pixel Buds Pro will top the charts with 11-hour battery life.
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HTC was once a giant in the Android smartphone market, but it has essentially dropped off the map entirely in recent years. HTC is now officially dropping its first teaser for its return to smartphones, with a “Viveverse” device coming on June 28.
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While we just got the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 a few short weeks ago, Qualcomm is, of course, hard at work on its next-generation chip. The presumed Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will power next year’s flagships and, according to a new rumor, it’ll be using a layout that’s out of the ordinary.
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Multitasking is one of the best reasons to buy a foldable phone, especially Samsung’s Galaxy Fold lineup, and it seems that’s going to get even better, as there’s apparently a new feature in the works.
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The OnePlus 10 Pro, after three months exclusive to China, finally launched in the United States today. Despite its $899 price tag, the phone lacks mmWave 5G support, and the OnePlus 10 Pro doesn’t yet have a 256GB model.
Update: The 256GB model has now been released. See below for more details.
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Capcom has just released a free demo of its Resident Evil Village, which launched just over a year ago, and it’s built on the same tech that powers Google Stadia.
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You might have read recently that Google is turning Assistant Driving Mode into its primary driving experience on smartphones, with a version of Android Auto going by the wayside. Let’s take a minute to clear things up – Android Auto is not going away.
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While Android 13 just now hit platform stability, a few months out from its formal launch, Samsung is working on its own take on the update behind the scenes. One UI 5.0 will be Samsung’s take on Android 13 and, according to a new report, it will bring improvement to animations, among other changes.
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According to a new report from Business Insider, Roku and Netflix may be in talks to see the streaming giant acquire Roku’s business.
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