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 know a lot about Google’s roadmap for Pixel devices, but when is everything coming out? Here’s everything we know about the release dates for Pixel 6a, Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel Watch, and the Pixel Tablet.
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In the midst of Google I/O today and the plethora of Pixel product announcements, the Google Store has removed its dedicated “Gaming” tab, effectively burying Stadia listings in an effort to highlight the Pixel Buds Pro.
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The culmination of Google’s $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit is here, with the Pixel Watch officially coming later this year with a fully integrated Fitbit experience. What does that mean for Google Fit? We’ve been curious to know for a while, but it seems Fitbit and Google Fit only have plans to coexist.
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Android 13 builds on Android 12L’s enhancements for bigger screens, and especially for foldables. Now, we’re finally getting the first build of Android 13 for a real-life foldable, the Oppo Find N.
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One of the biggest challenges Google’s Pixel lineup faces is its limited distribution, but it seems Google is finally ramping things up a little bit. The Google Pixel 6a is going to be available in India, the first smartphone sold in the country by Google in nearly two years.
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Google I/O is the tech giant’s annual chance to boast its wins, and also provide meaningful updates on where its various products stand. Below, we’ve collected some of the key numbers and metrics from Google I/O 2022.
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If you were ever wondering how committed Google is to its Pixel lineup, today’s showing at I/O makes it pretty clear with a whopping six new products. What was your most exciting reveal?
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The Google Pixel 6a is official as the company’s latest and greatest affordable smartphone. Here’s everything you need to know about the Pixel 6a specs.
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Google neglected Wear OS for years, but it seems the company is finally ready to take things seriously. Alongside the reveal of the Pixel Watch earlier today, the company also confirmed that, finally, Wear OS is getting a Google Home app.
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While it wasn’t mentioned on stage during Google I/O 2022 today, the company did announce a big new feature coming to Google Messages. Later this year, Google Messages will add end-to-end encryption for RCS group chats.
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Google today announced the Pixel Buds Pro in a bit of an unexpected reveal. The $199 earbuds are Google’s first to support active noise cancellation, and we’ve got a bunch of details on the specs and the impressive battery life of Pixel Buds Pro ahead of launch.
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5G connectivity has been a big deal for carriers in the United States, and Verizon has been well known for pushing mmWave connectivity at all costs. As has been the case with many Android phones, Google’s Pixel 6a is coming to Verizon with a special variant that will cost $50 more, just to support mmWave 5G.
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With its one-year anniversary approaching, the Galaxy Watch 4 is finally getting an actual timeline for one of its most anticipated features. Google Assistant is officially getting a release date on the Galaxy Watch 4 this summer.
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In a shocking twist, Google has officially revealed the first look at the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro at I/O 2022, showing off a revamped design with an aluminum camera bar.
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Today at Google I/O 2022, Google confirmed that over 500 million people are actively using RCS messaging and took the chance to throw another dig at Apple.
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The Google Pixel lineup has added focus on accurately depicting skin tone colors. At I/O 2022 today, Google is expanding on “Real Tone” with a new set of filters for skin tones in Google Photos as well as an open-source library.
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Google Search is a powerful tool that harnesses the power of everything Google knows and uses it to give you more information about the world around you. Today at Google I/O 2022, Google has announced an expansion of Lens called “scene exploration” that will let the product “explore” your surroundings, identifying products and even filtering them in real time, as well as more enhancements to multisearch.
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While Amazon-owned Twitch has been struggling a bit amid recent controversial changes to its platform, YouTube is capitalizing on the shake-up. This week, YouTube announced that it is testing Membership Gifting, a feature similar to what Twitch offers.
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Just a few hours after the Galaxy Z Fold 4 leaked, we’re now getting a first look at the Galaxy Z Flip 4 design, which seems to be mostly unchanged.
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OnePlus has been a bit shy when it comes to foldables in the past, but it seems the brand is finally ready to make its move. Apparently, the first OnePlus foldable will arrive in 2023.
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The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 has powered some of 2022’s best smartphones, but it seems an evolution on that chip is incoming. According to a new report, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus is finally getting a release date later this month.
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Google I/O usually marks the time when the latest version of Android graduates from its early previews and starts the journey through betas towards public availability. Ahead of today’s keynote, one of Google’s partners is jumping on board, with Oppo launching its first Android 13 preview for the Find X5 Pro.
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While we’re likely still a few months away from the debut of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, a plethora of leaks have come out in recent weeks. Today, we’re given our first look at the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
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The COVID-19 pandemic led to a huge number of video calls and a massive boom in sales of Chromebooks. As a result, Google’s desktop platform has gotten more attention from apps. Today in the midst of Google I/O, Cisco announced that Webex is getting an official PWA for Chromebooks.
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