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
According to a leaker, Lenovo plans to launch a new Legion Tab update in May that includes Snapdragon 8 Elite and major display and battery upgrades.
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Google appears to be working on a heavily revamped Quick Share experience on Android, with a new redesign having just surfaced.
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The Google TV Streamer launched last year to replace the Chromecast with a new price of $99, a bit of a hard pill to swallow for some. Now, Google is offering the first major discount on the Google TV Streamer, with a sale price to $79.99.
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After a last-minute delay, Samsung is now restarting the rollout of One UI 7 for the Galaxy S24 series with an updated build.
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Microsoft has announced a slew of new Xbox updates this week, including support for buying games and Game Pass via the Android app.
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While we’re still waiting on Samsung to resume its One UI 7 rollout, leaks keep rolling in regarding One UI 8, the Android 16 update for Galaxy devices. Another hands-on leak provides additional detail as to what’s new in Samsung’s next release.
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Nothing is gearing up for its next smartphone launch with teasers for the CMF Phone 2 Pro while also releasing its latest pair of earbuds.
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Google Assistant launched on the Sense and Versa smartwatches in 2020. Now, it’s shutting down.
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As Pixel 10 leaks keep rolling, a set of alleged wallpapers for the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL have hit the web as a bit of a departure from the company’s prior themes.
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With a new model coming soon, Walmart is offering a discount on its already-cheap Google TV streaming stick which currently costs under $13.
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Google is pulling the plug on security updates for Android 12 after four years, leaving older devices without further patches unless they’re updated to a newer OS version.
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Samsung has its own version of Android Auto for Galaxy devices, but it’s one that most people can’t use.
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Following the introduction of its new “Pop” trackers, Chipolo has pulled the plug on its “Point” lineup of trackers that launched for Android’s Find My Device network.
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Honor’s latest mid-range smartphone is the Honor 400 Lite, and it has a new “AI Camera Button” that can launch Google Lens.
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Following a months-long delay, Samsung started rolling out its One UI 7 update last week, only to pause the update abruptly for no clear reason. In a statement regarding the delay, Samsung still doesn’t offer any clarity, but there is a possible explanation floating around.
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The OnePlus 13T is coming out later this month and, ahead of its launch, we’re finally getting a peek at the design, as well as seeing how OnePlus has designed this phone with to be perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
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A new leak has revealed Samsung’s Android 16-based One UI 8 update, and it looks like a fairly small update.
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As promised, Samsung has released its Good Lock customization app to the Play Store this week, with a global launch also beginning.
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One of the newest – and arguably best – wireless adapters for Android Auto is seeing its first sale, with AAWireless TWO getting a 20% off discount this week.
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The Google Pixel Tablet is an annoying little asterisk in the company’s ecosystem, falling short of greatness despite being overall pretty good. While there are questions around future Pixel Tablet sequel releases, I know what I want from the future – a throwback to the past.
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Google is more widely rolling out its Android Auto 14.1 update just as a newer version enters the beta program.
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A new report reveals that the prototype Android XR glasses that Google recently showed off are slated to be released as a Samsung product as soon as next year, a bit later than other reports have hinted.
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Google’s AI Overviews have taken over the experience of Search in many ways, and now Google is looking to expand the prominence of links in these summaries, but those links aren’t going to other websites.
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Android tablets are making a comeback after years of being something disappointing because, well, why wouldn’t you just buy an iPad instead? As Android as a platform has improved tablet support and as Google has pushed harder for tablet-optimized apps, the experience has gotten a lot better. The limitation, then, came in hardware, as tablets have either been huge and powerful, or tiny and bordering on unusable. For years, I’ve been wanting a compact Android tablet with flagship specs, and that’s finally what the Lenovo Legion Tab has delivered – even though it’s technically still not a product designed for me.
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