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 first Android XR glasses are right around the corner and, ahead of launch, another leak reveals every style you’ll be able to buy.
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OxygenOS, the flavor of Android for OnePlus devices, is officially going away as the brand steps out of the global market, with Oppo’s ColorOS taking over starting with Android 17. And, now, we have an official list of OnePlus devices getting Android 17 starting later this month.
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Oppo has officially revealed ColorOS 17, its Android 17 update, to global markets this week and, along with that, confirmed a list of devices poised to get the update.
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Let’s not pretend; if you weren’t sold on a Chromebook, Googlebook isn’t for you either.
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Following a prior beta program, Nothing has started its stable Android 17 update rolling with its flagship Phone (3).
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After outing its Pixel 7 series in recent weeks, Google has just quietly released the Pixel 9 series to its Certified Refurbished program with prices starting at $499.
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One of the best new features of Google’s Pixel 11 (and Googlebook) is support for Rambler voice-to-text, and it’s now been ported to other devices – if you’re willing to take the risk, that is.
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We broke the news this week that a next-gen Google TV Streamer is incoming, but it also arrives as Google’s smart home hardware strategy faces a tough spot and new competition.
9to5Google Weekender by Ben Schoon is a part of our free newsletter that also includes ‘Inbox,’ a twice-weekly roundup of key stories from around the web by Daniel Bader. Sign up here to get Weekender delivered to your inbox every Sunday along with ‘Inbox’ on Tuesday and Thursday. You can find past issues here.
The big selling point for Googlebook is that it’s a desktop platform that deeply integrates with your Android phone but, at launch, those “Better Together” sync features are in a messy place. Google is now rolling out updates, including the bafflingly-missing support for Samsung devices.
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The long-awaited Star Wars: Galactic Racer launched earlier this week on consoles and PC, and is also free to play on Amazon Luna.
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Google has dropped an official teaser for its Fitbit Edge tracker and confirmed an October 12 launch, just a few days away.
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Having been using a Googlebook for the better part of a week, there are any number of headaches I could talk about, but easily the biggest problem I’m running into thus far is the app situation. Frankly, it’s a mess.
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Buried in the settings of Googlebook is a “Glowbar Disco” app that activates the LEDs on your laptop constantly, instead of leaving it blank.
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A new report alleges that Samsung is cutting way back on Galaxy smartphone production plans through the end of 2026, by as much as 30%.
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Logitech has just launched its Logi Options+ app for Googlebook, bringing support for controlling its keyboard and wireless mice to the Android-based platform.
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According to a fresh leak, Samsung’s upcoming over-ear headphones might be called “Galaxy Studio.”
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In launching its new Surface Laptop Ultra this week, Microsoft showed off its magnetic USB-C port and I immediately want it on everything.
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One of the beloved features of Google’s original big push into laptops, the Chromebook Pixel, is getting a revival in Googlebook’s Glowbar, but it very much feels like a hollow version of what came before.
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XREAL’s first pair of Android XR glasses, XREAL Aura, finally have a price tag – $1,279.
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The latest Henry Cavill promo for Googlebook has arrived and, with it, some Justice League deja vu as the star’s mustache has vanished between the first two ads.
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Google has confirmed that a fix is rolling out for a bug that leaves Android Auto briefly auto-playing music when your car starts, even if you have autoplay disabled.
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If Gemini isn’t quite your cup of tea, Anthropic’s Claude now supports sidebar integration with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
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Motorola is expanding its Android 17 rollout, with the update making its way to many more devices including the Razr Ultra (2026) this week.
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As its rollout expands, Samsung is now bringing its Android 17-based One UI 9 update to the Galaxy S24 series as well as older foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
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