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 just a couple of weeks past the launch of the OnePlus 10 Pro globally, but the brand already has another new event on the books. OnePlus has announced an April 28 launch event that will see the launch of two new phones and a pair of earbuds.
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Just a few weeks after announcing its intentions, Fitbit and Google have today announced that clearance has been granted in the United States for select trackers and smartwatches to detect irregular AFib heart rhythms.
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This weekend, YouTube removed the long-running experiment that allowed iPhone and iPad users to keep watching videos in picture-in-picture mode. Now, YouTube has confirmed that its iOS app is in the process of rolling out picture-in-picture support to everyone on iOS 15 and up.
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This week, Disney+ was the center of some key news as the streaming service announced its first piece of live content in Dancing with the Stars, which starts this Fall.
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Google added one new game to Stadia this week with the debut of World War Z, but it wasn’t the only news on the platform.
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The most affordable Android devices are usually the most neglected when it comes to updates, but Walmart’s Android TV streamers seem to be the exception. Another update is now rolling out to Walmart’s Onn Android TV device with the February 2022 security patch and more.
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After three years of essentially just Samsung dominating the foldable market, more brands are expanding the market. According to some new leaks, OnePlus is preparing a new foldable that’s unsurprisingly similar to the Oppo Find N, and a new look at the Vivo X Fold has surfaced.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 series has proved to be a hit, but the battery life was one of the least satisfying parts of the lineup. Apparently, that’s something Samsung is preparing to solve with the “Galaxy Watch 5 Pro,” which would have a 60% larger battery.
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We’re still a few months out from the debut of Samsung’s next generation of foldables, but information is slowly coming out regarding the new devices. Today, a new report claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 will both ship with the same side-mounted fingerprint sensor as past generations.
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The now-defunct Essential only ever released its PH-1 smartphone, a device I personally loved. But before that, the company had promised to release “Essential Home,” a unique smart speaker that unfortunately never made it to market. Now, though, a prototype has popped up online.
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Chrome OS updates come often and are a breeze to install, but like with anything else, there’s always the potential for things to go a little bit wrong. With some recent Chrome OS updates, it seems as though some Chromebook owners have noticed their onboard cameras have broken.
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For months we’ve been hearing about the OnePlus 10 Pro, including a complete reintroduction last week when the phone was formally announced for the US and other global markets. But to date, there’s been no sign of a standard OnePlus 10. Now, a leak shows off the Oppo Reno 8 which certainly looks like a OnePlus 10 by another name.
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Google’s Android 12L update finally went official with the March 2022 Feature Drop for Google Pixel devices, and will head to foldables and tablets from Samsung and others in the coming months. Just days after that launch, though, Google has released a new Android 12L beta for the June Feature Drop; here’s how to install the latest Android 12L beta on Pixel devices now.
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Samsung has done a great job speeding up the release of new Android versions of its flagship phones, and it seems things are scheduled to kick off even faster with the launch of Android 13.
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While Spotify’s Car Thing device isn’t exactly pointless, it certainly has a narrow use case as we detailed in our recent review. Now, Spotify Car Thing is picking up its first major update with the ability to answer phone calls, control other apps, and more.
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High refresh rate displays have been one of the best upgrades to our smartphones over the past few years, and OnePlus was actually one of the first to adopt the technology. However, it appears some apps just can’t use the full refresh rate on OnePlus phones, and the brand’s Android 12 update has broken workarounds.
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Google has boosted Stadia’s free-to-play aspect with a handful of free demos, and it seems Nvidia wants to do the same thing. Starting this week, GeForce Now is offering free-to-play game demos for a handful of titles.
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The Galaxy Watch 4 is still, going on a year after the update’s announcement, the only product on the market with Wear OS 3. Luckily, though, it’s proven to be a solid product with great features, and even better software support. This week, Samsung is rolling out yet another Galaxy Watch 4 update, this time with some Samsung Health improvements and the March security patch.
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Samsung’s Fan Edition series was a hit on debut, and while the latest model was delayed heavily, it still turned out to be a great device. Now, it seems the series is set for another shake-up, with the Galaxy S22 FE rumored to use a chipset from MediaTek, a choice that might even expand to the Galaxy S23 later.
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The budget-focused Nord series from OnePlus is about to pick up another sequel, this time in the OnePlus Nord N20, which is officially kicking off its teaser cycle.
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The past year has shaken up the mobile industry a bit when it comes to the chips in some of the most popular smartphones, starting with Google’s Pixel 6 taking on its own Tensor chip. Now, Samsung says that it is working on a chipset “unique” to Galaxy smartphones.
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Twitter for Android appears to be picking up a few new features soon, including, finally, an edit button.
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It was only a couple of months ago that the Google Phone app was spotted preparing a revamped dialer design with some Material You flare. Now, the update is officially starting to roll out.
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There are way too many streaming services today, and with content constantly moving between them, it isn’t easy to keep track of shows and movies you want to watch. Google TV solved that problem when it launched in 2020, but now Plex is throwing its hat in the ring with similar tricks.
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