Google just released a really cool new Android figure on its merch store that has a built-in 3D maze game.
Expand Expanding CloseThe latest Android figure is this awesome little 3D maze [Gallery]
Author
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
Honey accused of sketchy user data practices as more Chrome users uninstall [Video]
The popular PayPal-owned extension Honey has been under fire for the past year regarding sketchy tactics against online creators as well as its customers, and as millions have already ditched the app, a new video breaks down how Honey has probably done some sketchy things with your user data while also harming businesses.
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Samsung releases One UI 8.5 Beta 2, but it’s mostly bug fixes
Samsung has released a second beta update for its upcoming One UI 8.5 release, but there’s not much added this time around.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid Auto update hints at Cast support, Material music player redesign [Gallery]
Google appears to be working on more Android Auto updates, including potential support for Cast and a redesign of the music player to go with Material 3 Expressive.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel 10 series starts at $450 in crazy last-minute Amazon deal
Quite literally at the last minute as far as the Christmas holiday is concerned, Google’s Pixel 10 series is starting at $450 right now thanks to a discount that cuts $100 off of even Black Friday pricing.
Expand Expanding CloseiPhone Fold and future Galaxy foldable may end up copying the original Pixel Fold
After Google pivoted away from its stout book-like foldable form factor found in the original Pixel Fold, Apple’s coming iPhone Fold and a future Samsung foldable may just end up copying the same idea.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel Watch 4 were my favorite products of 2025 – what about you?
As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve been looking back on some of my favorite products of the year, with two standouts in particular. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Pixel Watch 4 are far and away my favorite products of the year. What were yours?
Expand Expanding CloseUGreen’s Qi2 25W wireless charger is a perfectly portable Pixel 10 travel dock [Gallery]
There are literally countless Qi2 charging docks available for the Pixel 10 series, each one with a different type of use case. One that I’ve been testing out lately is from UGreen, with the company’s Qi2 25W 3-in-1 “Magflow” dock being a perfect portable Qi2 dock for Pixel 10.
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Google Photos reminds users how deleting works across devices and backups
In a post, Google is reminding Photos users how the act of deleting a photo or video works across your various devices.
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Pixel 10’s promised GPU update arrives in Android 16 QPR3
As promised by Google earlier this year, a GPU driver update has arrived for the Pixel 10 series in Android 16 QPR3.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel tweaks emoji designs to match iPhone in latest Android 16 beta [Gallery]
As a part of the Android 16 QPR3 beta update that rolled out to Google Pixel phones yesterday, Google has also updated its emoji set to include a few refreshed designs ahead of a larger update to come.
Expand Expanding CloseMeta hits the brakes on third-party Horizon OS headsets, opening doors for Android XR
Meta has confirmed that its plans to bring Horizon OS, the software on Quest headsets, to third-party devices have been paused, which is probably great news for Android XR.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Home app can now transfer your old Nest Cams, Nest x Yale Lock, more at once
The Google Home app is adding support for transferring all of your old Nest gear to the new app with a single tap, instead of repeating the process over and over again.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 16 QPR3 adds a blue dot to show when apps are using your location
Google is adding a new notifying dot in Android 16 QPR3 which tells you when an app is accessing your location.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel adds Samsung’s navigation button layout in latest Android 16 beta
Google Pixel phones are adding support for the three-button layout used in navigation by Samsung Galaxy smartphones, but only in the latest beta for now.
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How to install the latest Android 16 Beta on Google Pixel
Android 16 is widely available on Pixel devices, but Google continues to run beta programs for the latest updates. Here’s the newest Android 16 Beta available for Google Pixel, and how you can install it.
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Hisense ‘DécoTV’ is an artsy TV that fits anywhere, but should have Google TV instead
Hisense has launched its new “DécoTV” series with the S5, a 32-inch TV that gives off some artsy vibes in a versatile form factor – it’s just running the wrong software.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing’s lockscreen ‘ads’ seem to wreck battery life if you try to fully remove the app
Nothing introduced “Lock Glimpse” earlier this year on its new budget-focused Phone (3a) Lite, and the sort of lockscreen “ads” appear to drain your battery from beyond the grave.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle adds a ‘Free’ content discovery tab on Android TV
While the focus has very much shifted to Google TV, the older Android TV experience is still getting updates from time to time, with the latest addition being a “Free” content tab that replaces the current design’s namesake.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s official Pixelsnap Qi2 charger is on sale, but there are better, cheaper options
Google’s official Pixelsnap Charger with Qi2 25W support is suddenly on sale, but you can do better.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle TV Freeplay now has over 250 free channels, including more local news
Over the past couple of years, Google TV has been heavily investing in free-to-watch channels that provide 24/7 content with no charge and no accounts. Now, Google TV Freeplay has over 250 channels available following the addition of quite a lot of new channels in recent months, including several more new local news channels.
Expand Expanding CloseInstagram launches new TV app for Reels, only on Fire TV for now
Meta has today announced that Instagram is getting a TV app designed to let you watch Reels on the big screen, but it’s only on Amazon’s Fire TV platform to start.
Expand Expanding CloseOnePlus says its upcoming ‘Turbo’ gaming phones are ‘frighteningly strong’
OnePlus has been betting pretty heavily on mobile gaming in the past few years, but a new “Turbo” lineup is apparently on its way and OnePlus says it is “frighteningly strong” – whatever that’s supposed to mean.
Expand Expanding CloseThe smartphone market is expected to shrink in 2026 due to rising chip, memory costs
According to a new report, the smartphone market as a whole is expected to shrink in 2026 due to the rising costs of components.
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