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
The numbers are in, and it seems Google’s Pixel 9a was a hit among the holidays in a US smartphone market that Apple dominated even more than it usually does.
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Google is rolling out Android Auto 16.1 widely as the latest beta, Android Auto 16.2, hints at what is coming next.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series was expected to deliver on a few key upgrades that were long overdue, but that all went out the window last year when Samsung apparently decided to go all-in on avoiding a price hike. Despite killing those upgrades, though, leaks suggest that the price is going up anyway.
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The 2025 smartphone market ended on a high note, acting as the calm before the storm with brands including Google Pixel, Nothing, and Honor being among the fastest-growing smartphone brands of the year.
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Following a merger with Oppo that has resulted in Realme becoming a sub-brand of the smartphone maker, a new report reveals layoffs inside of the company.
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IKEA’s smart home tech gets a lot of the basics – including price – right, but Matter connectivity issues are a downer on the whole experience, including some problems with the newfound button compatibility in Google Home that isn’t working right for some.
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After launching on the Pixel 10 series last year, Google has teased that AirDrop support via Quick Share will be coming to more Android phones, with announcements coming “very soon.”
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Lenovo’s compact lineup of gaming tablets struck a chord on their wide release in early 2025, but the sequel was never made available outside of China. Now, another new Lenovo gaming tablet with an 8.8-inch screen is in the works with the latest Snapdragon chip and a huge battery upgrade.
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As we predicted, Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 series will reportedly not have built-in Qi2 magnets, instead relying on a case to add the functionality that is required for several of Samsung’s new accessories.
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A weird bug on Android Auto is causing your car to vanish from Google Maps, but needed functionality is still in place.
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Ahead of its launch, the Google Pixel 10a has just leaked in a collection of official-looking images that show off the phone in a blue, “Indigo”-like colorway. Except, we weren’t actually expecting this color option.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Buds lineup has changed a lot over the years, with the last generation having ditched a long-time charging case design in favor of copying AirPods, but it seems Galaxy Buds 4 are taking a step back.
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Walmart has seemingly lowered the price for good on its Onn Indoor Camera with Google Home support, dropping to just $20.
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New findings in court documents shed a bit more light around Google’s plans for Android’s desktop UI, as well as its future plans for ChromeOS, and it might all take a bit longer than you were expecting.
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According to a new report, Nothing’s next pair of over-ear headphones might end up costing around half as much as Headphone (1).
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Google Home is finally addressing one of its biggest shortcomings in automations, with support now rolling out for smart buttons that can control other devices in your home.
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Leaks continue to tell us the GalaxyS26 series won’t be a particularly big upgrade, and it seems more likely than ever that one of the biggest expected changes, the addition of native Qi2 magnets, won’t be happening – “my day is ruined and my disappointment is immeasurable.”
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The Google Pixel brand has been growing steadily in recent years and, as the smartphone market as a whole faces a rocky year in 2026, Pixel is expected to see the “strongest growth” compared to other big names.
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The smartphone market is focused more and more on premium devices, and in 2025, the Galaxy S25 Ultra unsurprisngly led the charge.
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Google Pixel’s new “theme packs” launched just a couple of months ago, but as the first release vanishes, Google says more “are coming.”
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Google has quietly released a new “Desktop Camera” app that might just be for Android PCs, but it’s a little too early to tell.
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Smartphones have gotten really boring over the past few years, with most year-over-year “upgrades” just acting as a rehash of the prior year’s device with a new chipset and maybe some new colors. And yet, we just keep getting these boring upgrades. It’s been true for years now that phones simply do not need a yearly refresh anymore, but 2026 would be the year to make the switch – not that anyone is actually going to.
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Verizon has a wild sale going on right now, with hundreds of accessories available for 90% off, including Google’s official Pixel 10 case for just $5.00.
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Motorola is not exactly known for timely Android updates, but its latest releases in Europe don’t even promise OS upgrades at all – with Android 15 out of the box being a cherry on top.
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