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 launch of the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus last year brought a new importance to making Windows apps for Arm-powered PCs, and one notable omission was Google Drive. After launching in beta last year, the Google Drive app for Windows is now widely available for Snapdragon and Arm-powered machines.
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Motorola is working on a new collection of Razr devices, and the leaks are starting to pour in, including a new look at the base Motorola Razr (2025) which has updated specs and some gorgeous new colors too.
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Through social media, Google is teasing another new announcement around Pixel devices for later this week, with an “Imagination Studio” coming.
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Last week, YouTube acknowledged a widespread issue with low quality video playback on iOS devices, but now says that the problem is fixed.
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Foldables already feel stagnant despite having hit the market a mere 6 years ago, but one new device this week showed that there are still new ideas to be had. So, what do you want next?
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Google is preparing some kernel improvements for Android devices which are said to improve boot times by up to 30% on the Pixel 10, the first semi-official reference to the unreleased smartphone.
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There aren’t many trackers for Android’s Find My Device network, and most of the ones that are on the market aren’t exactly cheap. A new option, the “MiTag,” has recently surfaced, though, which costs under $20.
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GM has been adamant in its decision to remove Android Auto and Apple CarPlay from its vehicles, and now the automaker has killed a third-party kit that made it possible to still use those platforms.
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Google’s Pixel 9a offers a lot for its $499 price tag, but it doesn’t have everything the rest of the Pixel 9 series has. Thanks to a generation-old modem, the Pixel 9a lacks support for Google’s Satellite SOS feature.
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After launching in beta a few weeks ago, Google has made the Android Auto 13.9 update widely available to all users.
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Google’s long-time partner for Android figures, Dead Zebra, has just launched its latest addition, the faux wood “Pine Pal.”
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Following Verizon’s announcement yesterday, Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile have both confirmed that Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 owners on their networks will be getting satellite messaging “in the coming weeks.”
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Huawei just announced the Pura X, its latest foldable, and it’s a departure from existing form factors, slotting somewhere in between a flip phone and a book-style foldable.
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Samsung has finally set a start date for its One UI 7 rollout and confirmed a few devices to get support earlier this week. Now, Samsung is adding to that list of Galaxy devices with confirmation that Galaxy S22, S21, and several other Galaxy devices will be getting One UI 7 in the coming weeks.
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Google has confirmed it is investigating an issue causing low quality in playback of videos and Shorts through the YouTube app on iOS.
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Earlier this week, Samsung finally provided a release date for its long-delayed One UI 7 update, with the rollout starting on April 7. Now, Samsung has offered a few more details regarding the One UI 7 rollout schedule, with some countries starting the rollout a bit later.
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Google has delayed the launch of the Pixel 9a – a decision seemingly made in the eleventh hour – due to what it calls a “component quality issue.”
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Verizon has announced that its customers can now use satellite texting to any phone number, but only if they’re using a Google Pixel 9 or Samsung Galaxy S25 device.
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Samsung is gearing up to add new “Fan Edition” tablets to its Galaxy Tab S10 series, including a smaller Tab S10 FE and a larger model too, and now a detailed leak has exposed all of the key information.
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Samsung has a new set of deals available, with the Galaxy Watch Ultra over $200 off without any strings attached, a free $70 band with Galaxy Watch 7, and more in new deals for some of Samsung’s best health products.
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Samsung has officially set the date for its next major Galaxy update – One UI 7 – with the rollout starting in the first week of March. With One UI 7, the Galaxy AI suite is adding some new features, but Samsung has confirmed that not all of the new additions will be available across all devices.
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Remember the Pebble Time 2? The long-awaited, modern-looking Pebble that was supposed to launch in 2016 had the hearts of fans at the time, but was brutally killed when Fitbit bought the company, leaving the hardware to never actually ship. Finally, though, that dream is being realized as the “Core Time 2” will be launching later this year, and it has some big upgrades.
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Just shy of nine years after their initial debut, Pebble’s second-gen smartwatches are officially making a comeback with the original founder’s new company, “Core Devices,” reviving the Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2 as the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2, shipping starting in July with updated hardware and the same appeal as the Pebble smartwatches that came before.
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Samsung is set to release two new flip phone foldables this year, but the “Galaxy Z Flip FE” is reportedly launching “months” after the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
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