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
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Samsung is rolling out a new One UI 7 beta update for the Galaxy S24 series, and it’s reportedly the last one scheduled before the stable rollout.
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For a limited time, new YouTube TV subscribers can save big on their first six months of service, but this discount is coming to an end very soon.
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Nothing is building out new AI features for its smartphones, with the “Essential Space” on the Phone (3a) series even bringing a physical button along with it. Apparently, though, Essential Space may end up costing users $120 per year, a Nothing app hints.
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Rumors around the “OnePlus 13 Mini” have been swirling for months now, but we’re finally closing in on what’s actually coming. The latest report pins down a “late-April” launch date for the OnePlus 13T, and rounds up the key specs of the “Mini” device.
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Following their unveiling earlier this month, Samsung has just opened sales of the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A26 in the US starting at $299.
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While we’ve seen it in person a couple of times already, new official-looking renders are offering a first look at the colors of the Galaxy S25 Edge and its “Titanium” variants.
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Samsung’s schedule for the One UI 7 rollout has been a bit vague thus far, but new details continue to come in, this time with Samsung offering a few date ranges to keep in mind.
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For years now, Android has been developed in a way that allowed the public to look in on Google’s work, but that’s now changing as Google has just confirmed that it will start to develop the operating system entirely in its internal branch.
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Many people have come to rely on their smartphones as alarm clocks, which is why an issue with failing alarms on Google Pixel devices is so… alarming.
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Samsung is rolling out another new One UI 7 beta update for its 2024 Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 foldables, with this latest update delivering a new shortcut for accessing Gemini among other improvements.
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One of Samsung’s upgrades on the Galaxy S25 series is the addition of Qi2 support, sort of, as the company launched cases to use its new smartphones with chargers, cases, and other magnetic accessories. Those cases have not been well-recieved, but are now finally available in full, right as Samsung seems to be reviving its mysterious 3-in-1 wireless charger.
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A new update is rolling out for Nothing Phone (3a) and Phone (3a) Pro which upgrades the “Essential Space” feature with support for the camera, meaning you can use the AI tool to generate reminders, notes, and more just by pointing your phone at something.
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According to a new report, Samsung has plans to bring more third-party apps to the “Now Bar” in One UI 7.
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Waymo has announced that it will be expanding to yet another new city, with robotaxi services set to begin in Washington DC next year.
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It’s no secret that Google is planning to bring Gemini to Android Auto and, while that’s still not live, Android Auto 14.0 is now rolling out to all users and brings more hints that Gemini is just around the corner.
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Just after the launch of the Nothing Phone (3a) series, “Camera Presets” were added to the latest Nothing Phone’s as a way to adjust the look of the camera, and share those presets with other users. Now, someone has found a clever way to use AI to quickly create presets to transform shots into recreations of the worlds from your favorite movies and shows.
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OnePlus has just announced a new “Slim Magnetic Power Bank” that offers a boost to your battery without a ton of bulk, but costs $70.
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Google Stadia died over two years ago, but the sting still remains. In a new ad for its sequel game, the developers of the “Savage Planet” series are taking what seems to be a pretty clear jab at Google Stadia’s downfall.
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Launched to the public in 2024, the “Find My Device” network leverages billions of Android smartphones to find your devices, and also AirTag-like trackers. Here’s a list of trackers that are available for Andorid.
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OnePlus and Oppo are gearing up to launch smaller phones and a leaker claims the battery is bigger than initially expected.
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Samsung’s One UI 7 update has already been heavily delayed, but it seems that one final delay is no longer happening, as Samsung has restored a release date for Galaxy owners eagerly awaiting the update.
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Disney+ is rolling out an update that allows users to remove titles from the “Continue Watching” row, but it’s not available everywhere just yet.
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Trackers for Android’s Find My Device network are readily available nowadays, but they aren’t particularly cheap. Right now, though, you can get a tracker for Android’s Find My Device network for a mere $15, around 50% off of the usual cost.
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It’s been a long time coming, but Samsung is reportedly in the process of “finalizing” a pair of smart glasses with a built-in display that would be coming later this year.
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