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 ability to build on short-form videos is a key part of the experience for many, but YouTube Shorts is now testing out a version of that which uses AI, with two abilities in the works.
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The display crease has been one of the biggest downsides of foldables, and it’s one that we haven’t really seen fixed. But that might all change soon, as both Oppo and Honor are teasing a wave of foldables that don’t have a crease.
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The S Pen has been around for over a decade at this point, and it’s a key feature of Galaxy Ultra phones today. However, rumors have long swirled around whether or not it would stick around, but Samsung says that not only is it a “core” part of Galaxy today, but that upgrades are in the works.
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Samsung, with some of its latest updates, is set to remove some core tools from Android’s recovery menu, and it’s unclear why.
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The best deal in Google TV, the Walmart Onn 4K Plus, has been unavailable for weeks, but just came back in stock today.
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AirDrop support exists on Android, but only on Google Pixel phones. There was word that Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series might further expand that, but the Galaxy S26 series does not support AirDrop just yet, but it might soon.
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As satellite connectivity has started to become a more standard offering in smartphones, Samsung is finally adding proper support with its Galaxy S26 series, as well as older Galaxy devices.
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Samsung’s standout color for the Galaxy S26 series is its “Cobalt Violet,” and while I’m always down for purple smartphones, this one is underwhelming simply because it can’t decide what it wants to be.
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Following an initial preview at CES 2026 earlier this year, the Clicks Communicator is getting an update regarding its software support, chipset, and what physical keyboard layouts will be supported.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series may not have built-in magnets, but that hasn’t stopped the company from going all-in on magnetic accessories. The latest is a neat little magnetic case for Galaxy Buds 4.
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Samsung’s One UI 8.5 update is adding a big new ad for Samsung Care+ to the settings menu starting on Galaxy S26, and… it feels a bit familiar.
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While there’s no new hardware on the Galaxy S26 series in terms of their cameras, there are some new software tricks. One of those is “Super Steady Video” with “Horizon Lock” on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is basically like having a gimbal just a software toggle away.
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The Qi specs get updated pretty regularly, with the newest version now being Qi 2.3, but there’s nothing exactly groundbreaking going on here.
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Waymo is eyeing two new cities for it self-driving taxi service including Chicago and Charlotte.
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For yet another year, Samsung has skipped native Qi2 magnets in its Galaxy S26 series, but at least the first-party cases look a whole lot better.
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Alongside its new Phone (4a), the Nothing Headphone (a) has been officially confirmed as the brand’s next pair of over-ear headphones, set for launch next week.
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Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 series is now available, but one perk that we’ve enjoyed in years past is missing, as Samsung.com isn’t offering its usual doubled storage upgrade. There is a way to get it back, though.
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Nvidia revealed recently that the company has no plans to end support for the Shield TV and, as if to put a cherry on top, a new update is now rolling out.
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Motorola has done well with its flip phone Razr series in recent years, but the company revealed at CES 2026 last month that it would enter the book-style category with the Razr Fold due out later this year. It looks promising, and apparently we’ll be getting more details at MWC 2026 next week.
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The overall design of the Galaxy S26 Ultra is mostly familiar, but some subtle tweaks such as rounding the corners really make for a nice hardware upgrade.
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Starting on Google Pixel and extending to Samsung Galaxy with last year’s Galaxy S25 series, “Audio Eraser” features have proven pretty handy for recording videos. Starting with the Galaxy S26, Samsung is expanding Audio Eraser beyond recording, and applying it in real-time to videos from YouTube and other apps on your smartphone.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series has arrived and, as per usual, the pre-order period is the best time to buy these phones.
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Smartphones have felt somewhat stagnant over the past several years, with truly “new” features being fairly rare. There’s plenty of innovation in software, but on the hardware front, you’re largely just looking at refinement and improvement of what’s been around for ages. While Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series might be one of the biggest offenders ever of leaning on refinement, the Galaxy S26 Ultra delivers one of the first truly new smartphone features in years with its new “Privacy Display,” and I think it’s awesome.
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Samsung’s earbud lineup has, for years, been very solid. Clean hardware, useful software, and an affordable price. Plus, they long had their own identity in a market dominated by AirPods. Samsung tried something “new” in the Galaxy Buds 3 series a couple of years ago, and by that I mean, they basically just copied the AirPods. Still a solid product, but not what I’d come to like about past generations. Over the past few days, I’ve been trying the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, and I think Samsung has something special here.
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