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
Split-screen multitasking has been a part of Android for years, but new form factors have led to some brands coming up with unique ways to build on that idea. With its new “Atomic Workbench,” Vivo wants to let you use up to five Android apps at once on its new foldable.
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Meta is expanding its smart glasses lineup not with the futuristic “Orion” just yet, but with Oakley joining Ray-Ban later this week with new glasses.
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The Nothing Phone (3) will be getting the longest support timeline of any Nothing Phone thus far, but it still lags just a bit behind the rest of the industry in terms of Android updates.
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After its Android revival didn’t work out so well, many thought BlackBerry was gone for good, but a new project breathes new life into old hardware by replacing the internals and installing a new version of Android.
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The Lenovo Legion Tab is perhaps the best iPad Mini alternative available to Android users, and now its biggest discount is back.
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According to a new report out of Korea, Samsung is planning to launch its first Android XR headset in September, with the actual release date beginning in October.
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Nothing’s Essential Space feature is a clever use of AI, but a potential price point spotted for the feature suggested that it would be anything but cheap in the long run. In a new video, though, Nothing says that, at least in its current form, Essential Space won’t come with a price tag.
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It’s been relatively clear through recent leaks that Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will only be offering a single size option, but now another reliable source is pretty much cementing that as fact.
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Philips Hue is launching a new “Wall Washer” light that is designed to fill a wall with light, and it’s arriving ahead of support for AI-powered scene generation.
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Following its latest price hike early this year, YouTube TV is now showing an option to get a $10 monthly discount, but it’s a bit buried.
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Google is preparing a new feature for its native car OS, Android Automotive, called “AppCards,” which functions similarly to Apple’s Live Activities.
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In its continued “Best Phones Forever” series, Google pokes a bit of fun at how many iOS 26 features are “inspired” by Pixel, while also teasing the Pixel 10.
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One of the interesting aspects of the Pixel 9 series was that the base Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro could use the same cases. With the design of the Pixel 10 series almost exactly matching its predecessor, there was minimal hope that cases would be interchangeable, but that hope has been dashed.
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The Nothing Phone (3) is said to be the brand’s first “true” flagship, but it’ll be missing at least one flagship spec, as the company has just announced that it will forgo the use of Snapdragon 8 Elite and instead use the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset.
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Ahead of its July 8 release, the OnePlus Pad Lite has just seen its first official teaser, just as a leak divulges its specs and other details.
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The Galaxy Watch 4’s days are numbered, as Samsung has just signaled the end of support for the 2021 release.
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We’re just a few short weeks away from Samsung’s next big Galaxy launch, with the Galaxy Watch 8 series in tow, and now we’re getting both a better image of what these new smartwatches look like, and what the lineup as a whole really entails.
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Android 16 just got its initial release, and now Motorola has confirmed a starting list of devices set to be updated.
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Lucid Air vehicles are finally getting support for Android Auto via their latest software update, available starting today.
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Macro photography isn’t something everyone uses on a daily basis, but it’s still a nice feature to have. With its upcoming Pixel 10 release, Google is reportedly looking to boost macro photos with the help of its telephoto camera.
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A new, smaller OnePlus Watch 3 size is set to launch next month alongside a new pair of OnePlus Buds 4, and they’ll both be coming to the US.
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Samsung has just announced its first beta of One UI 8 Watch for Galaxy Watch, but this is the first time that the company won’t be releasing the beta to all of its Wear OS models.
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Google released Android 16 to Pixel users this week, an early release and a big milestone. But despite this update truly having a lot to offer in the long run, it has made an incredibly boring debut for users, and at a time where Android really has a chance to shine above its main competition.
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I’m continually impressed with robot vacuums and mops, but I’m also tired of ending with the asterisk of “but it’s $1,000+.” That’s why the Narwal Freo Pro is pretty compelling, as it delivers a focused robot mop that’s not going to break the bank.
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