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
Meta has today announced its new “Blayzer” and “Scriber” Ray-Ban styles that are designed for prescription lenses with a new slim design and more.
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Announced earlier this month alongside “Immersive Navigation,” Google Maps also added a new Gemini-powered “Ask Maps” feature which, as of this week, is widely available in the US and India to all users.
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As we await Walmart’s promising new Google TV stick, Xiaomi has just launched its second-gen option, and it begs the question, “What year is it?”
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Months after we first reported on its launch, Google has officially announced the ability to change your Gmail address while also confirming that the functionality is widely available, at least in the US.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 series launched late last year but, out of the blue, Samsung has just launched a new “Pro Keyboard” for the Ultra model, and it’s expensive.
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Following Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, more Galaxy phones are set to add cross-compatibility with Apple’s AirDrop and new findings not only reveal a list of devices, but also a way to enable it early – maybe.
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A new listing suggests that Walmart may finally be launching a Google TV streaming stick that supports 4K video output, perhaps finally giving the market a true replacement to the Chromecast.
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Google appears to be working on a new tap-based gesture for Quick Share that utilizes NFC to trigger file sharing, with the new feature having appeared in a leaked build of Samsung’s Android 17 update, One UI 9.
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Vivo is today launching the X300 Ultra, a phone focused on camera quality and, even more so, video. Here’s what it brings to the table.
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YouTube for Android is rolling out support for Android Auto but, before you get too excited, keep in mind that what you can actually do with it is rather limited.
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OnePlus is dead – probably. We’re hearing that OnePlus is shutting down much of its global operation imminently and, while it hasn’t happened just yet, it’s got us thinking about OnePlus’ presence in the US and how, sadly, its departure won’t really matter.
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The Motorola Razr Fold looks like a pretty exciting new foldable, and impressive as Motorola’s first book-style entry. Its release date has been a mystery, but Motorola is now teasing Razr Fold pre-orders than start in just a couple of weeks.
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Roughly a year after the effort was announced, the Apple-developed coding language, Swift, has just launched support for Android.
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As Meta continues to double down on smart glasses, the company is apparently gearing up to launch a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses that are specifically designed for those who already wear prescription glasses.
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Amazon this week announced a new collection of Ring Doorbell models that include upgrade 4K and 2K video on battery-powered hardware, something Google has yet to do in its Nest lineup.
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OnePlus has confirmed that it is moving to an online-first focus in India, with retail efforts largely being shuttered amid a global shutdown expected on the horizon.
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Android always has an Easter egg with each new version buried in the Settings menu, but something different is happening this year, with each new beta release tweaking the Android 17 logo just a little bit, and maybe hinting at something bigger in the pipeline.
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The latest data reveals that, roughly a month into sales, Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are a massive hit, and that’s likely in part because they’re a product that deserves your attention.
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Google is adding a new option in Android 17 Beta 3 that gives users granular control over which apps can be forced into “Expanded” dark theme modes.
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As is the case on the Pixel 10 series, the newly rolling out ability to send files via Apple’s AirDrop on the Galaxy S26 series is quick and easy – “it just works.”
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The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro might be one of my personal favorite phones of 2026 thus far, and ahead of its official release date tomorrow, the device is apparently already a hit of sorts.
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Nomad, best known for its Apple accessories, has been dipping its toes into the Android world as of late with products such as a premium Pixel Watch band that launched last year. Now, Nomad is following up with an Android version of its “Tracking Card Air” that works with Google’s Find Hub app.
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Now that RCS works between Android and iPhone, it’s become a more important tool for everyone, and the next major update to the RCS Universal Profile has just been announced with major additions, including video call support.
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After months in beta on the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung’s One UI 8.5 update is now expanding to a host of other Galaxy devices including foldables, last-gen flagships, mid-rangers, and more.
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