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.
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
Google’s Tensor chips in Pixel phones have been getting better every year, but they still tend to run warmer than the competition. According to Google’s own data, overheating issues with Tensor have proved to be the biggest reason for Pixel returns.
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Wi-Fi routers are supposed to fade into the background, but they often can’t help but stand out with designs that don’t fit well in the home. Google’s systems have been a great option for a good-looking, but still capable mesh Wi-Fi system, but the latest Nest Wifi Pro is also pretty pricey. Over the past few months, I’ve been testing the TP-Link Deco which is a semi-stylish, very capable, and much more affordable alternative to Google’s Nest Wifi Pro.
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Google is reportedly seeing massive growth with Pixel phones in the US, but have you been seeing them in the wild more often?
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Last month Verizon announced it would kill its “Message+” app for Android phones sold on its network, transitioning users over to Google Messages. But, now, Verizon has extended the timeline a bit.
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In Q3 of this year, Samsung managed to get one of its flagship devices, the Galaxy S24, into the top 10 smartphones sold globally, a rare achievement.
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The latest wireless Android Auto adapter, AAWireless TWO, has just come back in stock after quickly selling out on its initial launch.
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There’s a new “Performance Loop” band for the Pixel Watch in the works, but it hasn’t been released or officially announced just yet. This week, though, Google seemingly forgot about that.
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A recent update on Samsung Galaxy smartphones could prevent Android Auto from working, but it’s pretty easy to fix.
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Quick Share is the long-awaited “AirDrop for Android,” but many users have no idea it exists. To help with that, Google is apparently going to start requiring new Android devices to introduce users to Quick Share during the setup process.
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The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a stellar foldable smartphone, but getting a case for it has been difficult, especially as Google’s official case has been out of stock for weeks. Finally, though, it has returned.
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A new update to the Matter standard, version 1.4, brings support for even more new device types, as well as expanding support for thermostats in a way that would benefit the Nest Thermostat.
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Google has revealed that the memory requirements for Android TV are going down, with new devices needing just 1GB of RAM to run the platform.
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Google TV ads have been opening up to new content and product types, but a new “Dragon Age” ad is a great example of why the platform probably just should have stuck with content.
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Not long after its official announcement last month, OnePlus has just started rolling out the official, stable Android 15 for the OnePlus 12 in regions across the globe.
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Google is setting new requirements for Google TV devices to have at least 2GB of RAM, a move that might prevent some of the lackluster experiences we’ve seen in the past.
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According to a report, Samsung may have plans to accelerate the launch of a “Galaxy Ring 2” which would deliver a few key improvements.
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After teasing its arrival earlier this year, Samsung has just launched “Next-generation Bixby” for Galaxy devices, but it’s not available to all users just yet.
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Samsung has been working on its next major Wear OS update for quite some time now, but has left nearly all of its Wear OS-powered Galaxy Watch releases in limbo, with no updates being released in several months now.
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The Google TV app is picking up a useful new ability to share movies and TV shows with friends, family, or anyone else by sending a link.
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After dropping from availability, the Google TV Streamer remote is finally back in stock.
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After a few months waiting, Stardew Valley’s latest major update has debuted on Android and iOS with a ton of new additions, and now it turns out that it also has a hidden multiplayer mode.
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If you’re looking to ditch an old tablet for something new, Samsung will give you $300 for any old tablet trade towards its new Galaxy Tab S10 series, and you can score an additional $100 off right here.
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According to a new report, Google’s cost for producing a PIxel 9 Pro is just over $400, which might be lower than the previous generation.
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Xiaomi has started rolling out Android 15 to its older phones, with Xiaomi 14 first in line.
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