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
OnePlus has always been pretty good when it comes to its official cases, but that took on new importance with the OnePlus 13 as the brand skipped over Qi2 and instead put magnets into its first-party cases. The “Wood Grain” OnePlus 13 case is a standout among the lineup, but some users have run into issues with it in that it’s not easy to come off.
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Samsung is reportedly looking to use new battery tech in its wearables – including Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring – as soon as later this year which would provide improved “energy density.”
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Fake movie trailers are everywhere on YouTube, but now action is finally being taken against some of them after it was publicly revealed that movie studios were cashing in on those videos.
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It’s April Fools’ day, meaning you should be wary of anything you see online. But, alongside its April Fools prank, OnePlus has also confirmed that the OnePlus 13T is launching later this month, and it sure doesn’t seem like a joke.
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The latest Android Auto beta has randomly led to the Google app showing up, but its purpose is unclear.
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Oppo is preparing to launch more devices in the Find X8 series including the smaller and thinner Find X8s as well as its “Ultra” device.
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The Lenovo Legion Tab is one of the first small Android tablets in years that’s actually rather exciting, but it was hard to buy for a while. Now that things have stabilized, Lenovo is offering its first discount on the Legion Tab, but it barely counts following a recent and still-unexplained price hike.
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Thanks to advancements in battery technology, bigger batteries are being found in smaller and thinner Android phones. An upcoming release from iQOO shows that perfectly, with a massive 7,300 mAh battery inside of a device thinner than Google’s Pixel 9.
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Late last year the popular Chrome extension Honey (owned by PayPal) was revealed for employing a few shady tactics, and the extension has since lost around 4 million users on Google’s browser alone.
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If you’re seeing issues installing Google Chrome on Windows right now, you’re not alone, as Google has seemingly broken downloads due to a faulty install tool that “can’t run” on most Windows PCs.
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While its mobile app has had a dark theme for years, Google Photos has just made a dark mode available to all users through its web app.
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While new units are no longer being made, Google has announced that new controls for the Nest x Yale Lock will be coming to the Google Home app soon.
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The Nest brand has been built up for years as it was a pioneer of the smart home, but Google has slowly moved away from what so many people bought into as it has built up the Google Home ecosystem. Now, the Nest you knew is gone for good, and we know what the future looks like.
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It’s no secret that Gemini is coming to Android Auto soon, but it’s not here just yet. Ahead of the rollout, though, Google is removing the Assistant-colored microphone from Android Auto, seemingly as it prepares for the switch.
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Corning has just announced its new “Gorilla Glass Ceramic,” a stronger form of glass for smartphones, but seemingly not the company’s strongest.
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Following availability of the Galaxy A26 and Galaxy A36 in the US this week, Samsung has also finally detailed the Galaxy A56 which the company said would expand to the States “later this year.”
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A new leak shows off Samsung’s upcoming more affordable Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which is just a recycled Galaxy Z Flip 6.
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It was revealed earlier this week that Google would be moving the development of Android entirely behind closed doors for the first time, a change that now appears to have taken effect, but the company isn’t fully cutting out other parties from AOSP.
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The Nothing Phone (2a) was one of my favorite phones of 2024, combining an excellent price point with a really good overall experience. Now, the Nothing Phone (3a) series has arrived and after using both devices, I think the company has nailed it yet again, but I also think there’s a clear choice for customers.
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Google is on a hot streak of releasing new Android Auto versions, with Android Auto 14.1 having just started rolling out to beta users with promised support for select Android games playable on your car’s display.
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Magnetic charging has been a big part of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 launch despite the fact that these phones don’t have magnets built in, but an odd note was the disappearance of a neat 3-in-1 wireless charger. Finally, it has resurfaced, but it’s still not shipping to customers yet.
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Google TV (and Android TV) boxes and streamers have been stuck at a mere 8GB of storage for a long time, but things are finally changing as new hardware hits the market including the new Xiaomi TV Box S which jumps up to 32GB.
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As the grave of Google Stadia continues to draw mockery, Amazon’s cloud gaming service Luna is still thriving, with a new announcement this week bringing new regions online and also expanding available games with a deal with EA that includes Star Wars titles and more.
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In a new community post, Google is reminding Pixel owners of an often-forgotten feature of their cameras, the “Palm Timer.”
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