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
Samsung’s upcoming foldable lineup includes its first new mainstream form factor in years, as the “Wide” device enters the fold (ba dum) as a second book-style device. In a new leak of dummy units, we’re getting a better look at just how different the Galaxy Z Fold 8 “Wide” will be.
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After weeks of leaks from retail stores, Walmart’s new Onn 4K Pro and Onn 4K streaming stick with Google TV are just about ready to launch, and now live for many more customers.
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There are a lot of reasons I love using a Google Pixel phone, but voice-to-text might just be the most underrated upgrade on these devices. Every time I use a Pixel, without fail, I struggle to switch back to literally any other Android device in part because the voice-to-text experience is just so much worse. But, finally, there’s a brighter future in view.
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An errant message heard by some Google Home users seemed to imply that automations were going away – which would have been crazy. Thankfully, that’s not the case, but Google Home is doing away with its phone-related actions soon.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 8 sounds pretty familiar based on initial leaks, but Samsung is apparently making a tweak to the selfie camera cutout that sounds interesting, but I’m curious if it’s something anyone really cares about.
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In a handy new tweak rolling out now, Google Maps now shows more prominent street labels on Android Auto.
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Anthropic this week announced that Claude is adding integration with a ton of third-party services including Spotify, Uber, Resy, and others.
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Laptops powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 chipsets are starting to hit the market, but Samsung’s Galaxy Book 6 Edge has just leaked with a major change – it’ll no longer be available in a smaller size.
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Last year, Google TV device maker Thomson made headlines for reviving the form factor of Google’s Chromecast, but the company is now in a tough spot where it’s unable to sell device to customers in its main market of Europe.
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Google is preparing a massive investment in Anthropic, the company behind Claude, despite its own Gemini model competing with the AI company.
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“Bubbles” are an underrated part of Android notifications, with WhatsApp apparently working to add support just like another Meta app already had.
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YouTube has announced some new features rolling out in beta, including new side-by-side ads that show up right next to your content. Meanwhile, ads are showing up in the subscriptions feed for many YouTube users.
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All eyes are on Samsung’s next book-style foldable, with the “Wide” release reportedly adopting a whole new form factor. According to a known leaker, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 “Wide” will have slightly different dimensions than initially expected, both in that it’s thinner and has an inner display more like an iPad.
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TCL has launched its latest lineup of Google TV sets in the US, with some models already up to $2,000 off.
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XREAL’s top-of-the-line One Pro glasses continue to be updated, and now, they’re also getting a price cut to $599.
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Multiview is one of the best features to launch on YouTube TV for some time, but it’s always been restricted to certain channels. As previously teased, that’s finally changing.
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Instagram is once again expanding its list of social apps, this time with “Instants,” which mimics a core part of Snapchat.
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Google’s Pixel 11 series is in the pipeline and, in the latest Android 17 beta release, we spotted a quick preview of the wallpapers set to debut on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
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The new Motorola Razr Ultra is just days away from launch and, ahead of the announcement, new leaks show off the new flagship flip phone in its entirety.
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Nothing has just launched “Essential Voice,” the latest expansion of the brand’s AI suite, which is a major upgrade to voice-to-text.
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YouTube is turning to an expert in the field, SiriusXM, to provide improved ads for its audio-first content such as podcasts.
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Samsung is expanding its “Re-Newed” program of refurbished Galaxy devices to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, but the pricing leaves a lot to be desired – at the moment, it’s flat out just a bad deal.
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If you’ve been trying to use the Twitter/X app on Android lately, you’ve probably noticed a whole host of issues. Thankfully, a fix is coming soon.
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OnePlus hasn’t formally announced its next smartwatch – the brand as a whole is in question right now – but the new OnePlus Watch 4 has just been posted to a global OnePlus website, revealing nearly every detail about the Wear OS watch.
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