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
Google is reportedly working on a big upgrade to always-on display functionality in Android that’s called “Min Mode” and can show a limited version of supported apps.
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YouTube TV customers have lost access to ABC, ESPN, and other Disney-owned channels this evening as a contract between Google and Disney failed to reach a renewal in negotiations, and it results in over 20 channels going dark.
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With the clock ticking on YouTube TV’s deal with Disney, a new report reveals that Google’s streamer has at least one big demand for Disney.
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The Android XR floodgates finally cracked open this month with the debut of Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, but glasses are what we’re all excited for. Google has now announced that its partnership with Magic Leap has been extended for the sake of bringing Android XR glasses to market.
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Meta is launching another new update for Threads that can be used to “keep discussions on-topic” by manually approving replies to a post before it’s seen by everyone.
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Google Maps is preparing a new “Power saving mode” behind the scenes on its Android app, which does away with color and only shows the absolutely essential details in exchange for improving your battery life.
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Following a court ruling, Google has been forced to open up the Play Store in the US to allow Android apps to use other billing systems or direct users to alternate pricing options.
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Nothing’s new “Lock Glimpse” feature delivers a rotating selection of wallpapers on the lock screen of the Phone (3a) Lite, but what’s bizarre is what happens when you click the attached link, because all of the content is from a strange website of clickbait farm websites.
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YouTube is preparing to support higher-quality content, including larger video upload sizes and higher file size limits for thumbnails.
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Oppo’s latest flagship series has arrived, with the Oppo Find X9 and Find X9 Pro set to launch globally later this month. Here’s what they bring to the table.
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MediaTek has announced a new chipset for Chromebooks, which will debut in early 2026 with the promise of battery life improvements and the ability to run in fanless laptops.
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YouTube has announced that it will start using AI to upscale low-quality videos with a new “Super Resolution” feature coming soon.
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Samsung has officially shown off the Galaxy Z TriFold for the first time and, in that initial showing, it appears that the new form factor is impressively still thinner than most of Samsung’s other foldables released to date.
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Google has some new Android Auto features in the pipeline, including support for app widgets on the dashboard as has been discovered in the latest updates.
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Nothing’s first phone with third-party bloatware has arrived, with the new Nothing Phone (3a) Lite shipping out of the box with Instagram and Facebook pre-installed.
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Nothing is adding a fourth smartphone to its 2025 lineup, with the new Nothing Phone (3a) Lite arriving as an even more affordable device at €249, but in part because it’s really familiar.
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If you’ve been wanting to pick up some extra Pixel Watch bands, select official bands are currently on sale for as little as $16 – some for even less – right now. Here’s what to look for.
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UWB (ultra-wideband) is an underutilized feature in Android smartphones, and one that’s rare to even have the hardware for in the first place. Google’s Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro both have UWB but, as it turns out, they’re still unable to use the new tracking features in Find Hub.
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Roughly a decade ago, Google pulled the plug on its alluring modular “Project Ara” smartphone. All this time later, though, prototypes are still out there, with some new videos offering another look at the device.
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YouTube Shorts creators are getting a new suite of tools via Adobe Premiere, which will roll out new editing tools in the “Create for YouTube Shorts” experience.
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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 8 is reportedly set for another big upgrade cycle, with the device set to both get an overdue battery upgrade while also bringing back S Pen support.
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The band situation with Pixel Watch has always been rough, especially if you want a nice leather band. But, finally, the day has come, as Nomad is now shipping a premium leather band for Pixel Watch that’s absolutely worth a look.
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Walmart’s Google Home-integrated cameras promise the feature set of Nest but at a fraction of the cost. But, for some users, there have been some issues in getting these cameras working.
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Google is opening up access to the major Fitbit app redesign on Android this week, but there’s a long list of features not available in the preview release just yet.
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