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
While you’re usually best served by the camera app built into your smartphone, there’s a growing number of third-party apps that can offer a different, often even better experience. Released this week, VWFNDR + MBL is a new camera app that adapts to you as the photographer, putting out results free of excessive processing – and it’s Android-only to start.
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TCL has announced new updates heading to its Google TV sets which deliver upgrades for Dolby Vision and Atmos, as well as fixing an issue with Disney+.
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Announced earlier this year, Moto Tag 2 has quietly gone on sale in recent weeks with UWB support in Android Find Hub and longer battery life.
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If you’re on the hunt for a good smartphone for cheap, Mint Mobile’s current Pixel 10 deal is an absolute steal, selling the phone itself for just $299 with your first year of service.
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Walmart is not the first brand anyone thinks of when it comes to Android tablets, but the retailer’s Onn brand has just dropped six new models all running Android 16 and, on paper at least, they look surprisingly good.
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OnePlus has confirmed that it is resuming the rollout of select OxygenOS updates that were paused due to issues causing boot problems and more on various OnePlus devices.
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According to a new report, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 will finally get some needed spec updates, including improved cameras and battery size.
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Earlier this week, Google revealed a first look at some new 3D redesigns for the emoji found on Google Pixel phones and other Google products, and now we’re getting a closer look at all of the changes ahead of their Android 17 release.
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We’ve been hearing about Google’s behind-the-scenes work to move its laptop efforts over to Android, but now that we’ve seen “Googlebook,” I’m not really sure I’m sold yet. Honestly, I don’t think Google has shown any reason for these laptops to exist at all.
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Google’s new Gemini Intelligence push was announced this week and it has pretty steep requirements for Android devices to support the new features, cutting off the Pixel 9 series and even last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 due to one spec.
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The Google Home app has largely taken over for most Nest users, but if you still prefer to access older hardware via the Nest app, a widespread outage has broken functionality for many.
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OnePlus has been in a rapid downward spiral over the past few months, with the latest blow being the removal of OnePlus devices from Best Buy stores in favor of Nothing Phones.
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As Android XR glasses crest the horizon, Meta is looking to improve on its Ray-Ban Display glasses, opening up support for third-party apps.
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The Honor Robot Phone is an interesting concept, but one that’s also felt a little like it might not be real. Honor says it’s actually happening, though, committing to a Q3 2026 release date for the Robot Phone and teasing imaging enhancements from its partner, ARRI.
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While Android 17 itself wasn’t really a focus of “The Android Show” earlier this week, we did hear about a few new changes coming. One of those changes includes a redesigned 3D emoji set coming to Android 17 starting on Google Pixel phones. What do you think of the new look?
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As a part of its latest Brandcast, YouTube has announced new features for the platform including the ability to buy products you see in a video directly from your TV.
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Yes, Sony actually seems to think that image you’re seeing above looks better after running through an “AI Camera Assistant.” In promoting its new Xperia 1 VIII, Sony is rightfully seeing backlash around the output of these new AI changes – and I can’t help but think about how this is just the worst possible form of the problem facing so many modern smartphone cameras.
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Google has made a notable change to its account storage policy, limiting the usual 15GB of free storage only to accounts that are verified with a phone number.
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After a few years of flip phone-only foldables, Motorola is finally releasing a book-style device in the Razr Fold. I’ve been keen to use it after a couple of early looks at trade shows earlier this year and, now that I’ve been using it as my main phone for the past week, I’m sold – the Motorola Razr Fold isn’t just good, it might be the best foldable*.
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Motorola’s new Razr foldables are now available for pre-order in the US, with flip phones and the book-style Razr Fold shipping later this month.
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Ahead of the upcoming release of Google Home Speaker, a new “Google Home Display” has appeared in Google app code, suggesting a new Nest Hub-esque device is in the works.
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Google announced yesterday that its implementation of AirDrop support in Android’s Quick Share will be coming to more Android phones, including a list of what devices are confirmed for support.
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Google’s “Gemini Intelligence” updates for Android might arrive on Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and other foldables first, a new report claims.
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Google’s refreshed emoji designs left many wondering if AI generation was involved, but Android 17’s 3D emoji are, in fact, “hand-modeled.”
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