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
Streaming PC games to your Android device is nothing remotely new, but Razer’s new “PC Remote Play” service has a welcome upgrade with the ability to stream games at the native screen resolution of your mobile device, meaning no black bars.
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Samsung is now offering a replacement (or spare) charging case for the Galaxy Ring, but it costs a hefty $90.
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Samsung is bringing a new update to its latest Wear OS smartwatches, with the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra now getting an April 2025 update.
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Following quite a few leaks, Motorola has posted a brief video on social media teasing the launch of new 2025 Razr foldables coming later this month.
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After being delayed to fix the “Meda in China” typo, the OnePlus Watch 3 is once again available for purchase, but with a huge change to its price.
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Google is hinting at some form of glasses integration with Android Auto through a new beta update, but there are some questions.
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As promised, Samsung has started the rollout of One UI 7 to Galaxy users in the US, starting with the Galaxy S24 series.
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Samsung just started rolling out its big One UI 7 update earlier this week, and with it comes an unexpected addition in the form of cross-device YouTube controls that appear through Live Notifications and the Now Bar.
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The Google homepage is getting a major shakeup, as the company has announced that its Discover news feed and a new “At a glance” widget section will be coming to the Search experience on desktop, though there’s no word on when.
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After years of teasing, Samsung is finally gearing up to launch its Ballie robot “this Summer,” with the company teaming up with Google to leverage Gemini on the helpful home robot.
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The Android 16 beta continues to expand this week, as Xiaomi is also now following OnePlus with a limited preview release.
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According to a new, messy report, Google’s Pixel 10 series could see some big price changes as a roadmap of upcoming releases suggests Google will stick with a familiar formula.
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After a mysterious delay recently, Samsung is reportedly planning to only launch the Galaxy S25 Edge in Korea and China at first, a drastic change.
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If you’ve tried to use YouTube TV on your Roku in the past day only to find the app has disappeared, you’re not alone, and there’s a potential fix available too.
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Google TV has put a ton of emphasis over the past couple of years on its “Freeplay” experience with free live TV channels. Now, Google TV remotes are apparently going to be required to have a “Free TV” shortcut.
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Dashcams are an inexpensive and important means of protection for your car in the case of an accident, as they can prove the cause of damage in many cases. That’s why the idea of a dashcam app for Android Auto is so appealing, but while Google built such an app for Android Automotive, there’s no sign of it coming to the phone-based platform.
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The OnePlus 13T is launching later this month with a smaller display, but it also ditches the Alert Slider as OnePlus has confirmed in its latest teaser.
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Nothing is hot off of the release of the Phone (3a) series last month, and is now teasing the arrival of four more new products later this month from its CMF brand including the “CMF Phone 2 Pro.”
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The One UI 7 rollout is finally off to the races, but many users are still going to be waiting a while. In its latest post, Samsung has revealed a schedule for One UI 7 that includes nearly 50 more Galaxy devices to be updated over the next couple of months.
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Right on schedule, Samsung has started the One UI 7 rollout for Galaxy S24, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Galaxy Z Flip 6, with more devices to come.
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Foldables have improved drastically since their full debut in 2019, but Samsung has been stagnating on progress for quite a while now. That’s why I can’t explain why I still enjoy the Galaxy Z Fold 6 so much, especially after having spent a lot of time with some of the best foldables the market has to offer.
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Samsung’s Android 15 update, One UI 7, has been heavily delayed, with the stable rollout only due to start next week – a whopping six months after Google first finalized Android 15. Things appear to be moving much faster for One UI 8, though, with Samsung’s Android 16 update reportedly set to debut alongside the company’s next generation foldables.
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Google’s Android Auto platform is constantly evolving, adding new features and changing others. For some users, a handy new option seems to have been made available with the option to press a readily available button to exit back to your car’s infotainment system.
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Samsung has promised that its long-awaited rollout of One UI 7 will start on April 7, but the beta isn’t done just yet, as the Galaxy A55 has just joined the party.
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