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
Oppo has been teasing a crease-less foldable in its upcoming Find N6 and, now, the company says that the device will be launching globally, and we really hope that’s true this year.
Expand Expanding Close
As AI tools continue to grow in popularity, Google’s Gemini is the fastest-growing one by a huge margin, new data reveals.
Expand Expanding Close
Recent updates to Google Home have delivered a handy new feature for Nest Cam owners which allows you to ask questions and get answers based on Google’s AI watching your home in real-time.
Expand Expanding Close
It’s already Pixel 11 leak season folks, with the first CAD-based renders of the upcoming Pixel 11 Pro Fold having just hit the web to reveal a device that, frankly, doesn’t look all that different.
Expand Expanding Close
Following the March 2026 update for Google Pixel Watch devices, a number of users are reporting that their SpO2 (blood oxygen) and skin temperature readings have vanished from the Fitbit app.
Expand Expanding Close
Compact Android tablets have seen a bit of a revival in the past couple of years as a focus on gaming has taken over. One of the most popular faces to this has been the Lenovo Legion Tab, but there was one option released last year that we felt improved on the idea in some ways, and now that Redmagic Astra is getting a sequel.
Expand Expanding Close
The latest updates have finally delivered full support for the Nest x Yale Lock within the Google Home app, bringing the incredibly popular smart lock into the modern era of Google’s smart home efforts.
Expand Expanding Close
The flagship feature of Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 Ultra is the Privacy Display and, so far, it’s been a great addition to the device. But closer inspection of the Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display shows how it is a bit different compared to a traditional display.
Expand Expanding Close
Smartphone cases are something we all use, but I don’t get why Samsung and Google keep making the same annoying mistake when it comes to their first-party Galaxy and Pixel cases.
Expand Expanding Close
As Samsung doubles down on AI for its Galaxy smartphones, the company says it is “looking into” ways to bring vibe coding into the experience.
Expand Expanding Close
Google Home is rolling out more updates to address ongoing issues with voice commands, with the latest fixes apparently making everything “snappier” and less prone to errors.
Expand Expanding Close
It’s pretty widely known that Samsung is preparing to launch a pair of smart glasses later this year and, speaking at MWC, the company confirmed the tiniest details about its first smart glasses.
Expand Expanding Close
Nothing revealed its new Phone (4a) series yesterday and, in a “blink and you’ll miss it” reveal, the company is bringing the Phone (4a) Pro to the US for the first time – here’s why I’m pretty excited about that.
Expand Expanding Close
Smartphone batteries have been getting bigger and bigger, meanwhile Samsung Galaxy devices have been completely stagnant with the exact same battery size in every Galaxy Ultra phone for the past six generations. Yet, someone just proved just how much bigger the battery capacity can go by doubling the battery capacity of Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold.
Expand Expanding Close
AI tools, love them or hate them, have been a big deal in coding and app development, and Google is now actively testing out what the best tools are for Android app development – here’s the full list.
Expand Expanding Close
Google’s efforts with Pixel phones have been improving over the past few years, to the point where the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 series both managed to win “Best Smartphone” awards at MWC in back-to-back years, but the iPhone 17 has taken back the crown this time around.
Expand Expanding Close
According to new data out of Korea, Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is already breaking pre-order records and is ahead of its predecessor, with the vast majority of early purchases being for the Galaxy S26 Ultra in particular.
Expand Expanding Close
MWC 2026 is coming to a close, so to wrap up our time in Barcelona, here are 9to5Google’s Best of MWC 2026 Awards.
Expand Expanding Close
Following its announcement last year, Google has started rolling out a warning in the Play Store that warns you of apps that might drain your battery excessively.
Expand Expanding Close
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro has arrived and, while it looks like a really solid upgrade on paper, the new device largely ditches the transparent design elements that has made Nothing stand out for the past few years.
Expand Expanding Close
Following up on its first over-ear headphones released last year, Nothing has just announced Headphone (a) as a more affordable option with added colors and, somehow, longer battery life too.
Expand Expanding Close
Nothing has just launched its new Phone (4a) and Phone (4a) Pro with a slightly higher starting price, but some major upgrades across the board.
Expand Expanding Close
Following its debut on Google Pixel, it sounds like AirDrop-over-Quick-Share support is heading to more Android phones soon, with Oppo saying it will roll out an update sometime later this month.
Expand Expanding Close
Xiaomi has confirmed that it has plans to continue its Google Tensor-like in-house chipset efforts, with a new version of the chip each year.
Expand Expanding Close