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
Foldables have come a long way in the past few years, but outside of reinventing the flip phone and hiding a tablet within a smartphone, the concepts haven’t changed all that much. Lenovo, though, has a really clever idea in its new Legion Go Fold concept, which I really hope makes it to reality someday.
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Following up on its first release in the States, Lenovo is back with a new Legion Tab, Gen 5, which brings back the compact 8.8-inch form factor but this time with a much bigger battery, new colors, and a way higher price too.
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After leaking in regulatory documents earlier this year, the Motorola MA2 wireless Android Auto adapter has quietly made its debut, with a much lower price point.
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Qi2 battery banks are perhaps one of the best accessories for a Pixel 10 owner, but finding one that’s compact while actually having a decent amount of power inside is not easy. But with the new PicoGo AM52 power bank, Baseus has built a 10,000 mAh Qi2 battery bank that just feels right.
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The Galaxy S26 series as a whole isn’t anything all that groundbreaking, but if there’s one feature that should have your attention, it’s the Privacy Display on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This feature is rightfully the standout addition to this year’s lineup and, after spending a busy couple of days in exactly the situation where Privacy Display is the most useful, there are a few things I think you should probably know.
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The Honor Magic V6 has arrived and, rather continuing to be obsessed with a thinner device, Honor took a new route in focusing in on a massive battery, because you’d never guess that this phone is nearing 7,000 mAh.
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Xiaomi is kicking off MWC 2026 with the global debut of the Xiaomi 17 series, as well as a new Wear OS smartwatch and its first Find Hub tracker, among other things.
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The Galaxy S26 series doesn’t have Qi2 magnets and the official excuse for why ignores the big picture.
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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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