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
This week saw the debut of the Google Pixel 10a which, frankly, feels like a mostly recycled Pixel 9a. As we approach the launch of another barely-changed release, the Galaxy S26, it’s a good time to take a step back and remember that, while these phones aren’t all that new, that’s in part because they’re not for you.
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The “phone look” for smartphone photography is a well-known thing and, while it’s not always bad, it’s not always what you want. Zerocam launched on Android in 2024 as a way to do away with AI overprocessing, and it’s now getting a major 2.0 update that includes new photographic color profiles.
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Samsung has confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy S26 series will support a new Perplexity hotword – “Hey Plex” – as part of an “open and inclusive integrated AI ecosystem” that also includes Google and Bixby, which have their own hotwords.
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In the lead-up to Samsung’s Unpacked event next week, a major leak of promo materials confirms a few key details such as faster charging, while also showing the Privacy Display in better detail than we’ve seen.
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US courts have charged three individuals, including two ex-Google employees, regarding the theft of trade secrets in regards to Google’s efforts with Tensor chips in Pixel phones.
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Motorola’s track record for Android updates is… bad, but there’s at least one thing improving. For the third year in a row, Motorola’s Razr phones have been updated earlier than their predecessors, with Android 16 now headed to Razr (2025) and Razr Ultra.
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One of the most annoying things about the Pixel Watch 4 is that, again, Google changed the charger. But it comes with the arrival of a handy new USB-C charger that’s not only more compact than the official Pixel Watch 4 charger, but a whole lot cheaper too.
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OpenAI is apparently working on a new smart speaker due to launch in 2027, according to a new report.
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The onslaught of vertical video continues, with Instagram now going all-in on Reels with an upcoming redesign that throws you straight into Reels when you open the app. The caveat, though, is a new customizable “Your feeds” that can even include a following-only feed.
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For all we know about the upcoming Nothing Phone (4a) series, the look remains a complete mystery. That’s continuing with the latest teaser, where we learn that Nothing Phone (4a) will have a “Glyph Bar” instead of a rear display.
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After a false start back in January, Samsung has re-announced its Bixby reboot, which delivers more AI and will go live in One UI 8.5.
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Foldables opened the door to a whole new world of smartphones just a few years ago, but somehow the entire Android market has settled into just two form factors – clamshell flip phones and book-style devices that just open up to double the width of a normal smartphone screen. As the inevitable “iPhone Fold” approaches, though, it seems Apple is looking to revive a form factor that Android brands, including Google Pixel, once tried, but failed to keep around, and there’s a clear reason why that happened.
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According to a new report, Meta is renewing plans to release a smartwatch, but with a slightly shifted focus over to health tracking and Meta AI.
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Google says that it is now testing a new “conversational AI” tool on its TV apps for YouTube, enabling new features if you use the microphone.
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Samsung is rolling out its fifth One UI 8.5 beta for the Galaxy S25 in the US, and it comes as the actual release is right around the corner.
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Trade-ins are a key part of modern smartphone purchases, and Google is making a pretty big change for Pixel buyers with the arrival of instant trade-in credits through the Google Store.
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Google Search has bet pretty big on AI experiences and, as it figures out the right formula, changes and tweaks continue. Google is now showing off a new change that makes source links a bit more prominent.
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The Pixel 10a has arrived and, as per usual, boosted trade-in values are among the best way to score a discount, and Google has some solid values in store for Pixel 4a owners.
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The writing has been on the wall for a while now, with Nothing Phone (4a) expected to see a price hike. Now, a new report nails down the pricing right as the core specs have leaked.
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Samsung is continuing its Galaxy S26 teasers with a new post highlighting “an end-to-end” camera experience that’s brighter and easier than ever.
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If you’re trying to access YouTube right now and running into problems, you’re not alone, as a widespread outage appears to be affecting YouTube and, to a lesser extent, YouTube TV.
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Amazon announced a new UI for Fire TV last month that, at the very least, seems heavily inspired by Google TV. Now, it’s actively rolling out in the US.
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Samsung has been teasing the Galaxy S26 series for the past couple of weeks on social media, and while there are some hints of good things such as the new “Privacy Display” and apparent low-light video upgrades, it’s hard to care when it’s surrounded by a ton of absolute AI slop.
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Biometrics are a core part of any smartphone nowadays, and Google Pixel is one of the few brands that balances both fingerprint and face unlock properly. But it seems Google wants to take things a step further on Pixel, with a new “Project Toscana” in the works that includes new face unlock hardware for phones and even Chromebooks, which is said to be comparable to iPhone’s Face ID in performance.
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