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 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.
Google spent years selling the Pixel on the premise of its camera but nowadays, it just doesn’t stand out to the same degree. Earlier this week, I was looking back at some old Pixel photos and couldn’t help but miss the days when the Pixel camera really shone at its brightest.
The Nothing Phone (1) is on its last year of software support and, before closing up shop, the device has just picked up one of Android 15’s core features in Private Space – or at least Nothing’s take on it.
According to a new report, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is falling short of expectations, with sluggish sales and major cuts to production already taking place.
Meta has just announced its new Oakley smart glasses which function much like existing Ray-Ban models at their core, but have a few key upgrades, including better battery life and video quality.
Samsung often builds its own alternatives to Google services, and it turns out that the company is building its own version of Android’s earthquake alerts system, and it has some options Google should perhaps consider.
The rise of MVNOs has made it possible for some interesting names to power your mobile phone service. Google, Ryan Reynolds, and… others, have all been attached to their own mobile phone carriers. Now, Klarna is joining the ring with its own $40/month plans – and yes, that’s the “buy now pay later” people.
Wyze continues to put out very clever and affordable smart home devices and cameras, but a sour note on the company for years has been a security incident that allowed your camera’s feed to be viewed by others. With its new “VerfiedView” security, Wyze promises that can’t happen anymore.
After a bunch of teasers, Nothing has offered a first look at the new “Glyph Matrix” lights on the back of Nothing Phone (3), while also disproving a recent leaked design.
OnePlus has been making some of the best full-size Android tablets on the market as of late, and now a rumor suggests that the company is planning on making its own 8-inch Android tablet for gamers.
According to a new report, Google’s switch from Samsung’s foundry to TSMC for the Tensor G5 chip in the upcoming Pixel 10 series was a “shock” for Samsung, and is serving as a wake-up call for the company’s foundry efforts.
NFC is an increasingly useful technology in the modern world, and now it’s getting a range boost as the standard will now operate at 2cm away, nearly four times the previous requirement in a change aimed at improving the reliability of actions such as tap to pay.
YouTube continues its war on ad blockers, recently showing a notice that confirms videos are slightly slowed down for ad blocker users, while the platform is preparing for longer ad formats.
Split-screen multitasking has been a part of Android for years, but new form factors have led to some brands coming up with unique ways to build on that idea. With its new “Atomic Workbench,” Vivo wants to let you use up to five Android apps at once on its new foldable.
The Nothing Phone (3) will be getting the longest support timeline of any Nothing Phone thus far, but it still lags just a bit behind the rest of the industry in terms of Android updates.
After its Android revival didn’t work out so well, many thought BlackBerry was gone for good, but a new project breathes new life into old hardware by replacing the internals and installing a new version of Android.
According to a new report out of Korea, Samsung is planning to launch its first Android XR headset in September, with the actual release date beginning in October.
Nothing’s Essential Space feature is a clever use of AI, but a potential price point spotted for the feature suggested that it would be anything but cheap in the long run. In a new video, though, Nothing says that, at least in its current form, Essential Space won’t come with a price tag.
It’s been relatively clear through recent leaks that Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will only be offering a single size option, but now another reliable source is pretty much cementing that as fact.
Philips Hue is launching a new “Wall Washer” light that is designed to fill a wall with light, and it’s arriving ahead of support for AI-powered scene generation.
Author
Ben Schoon
nexusbenBen 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
Connect with Ben Schoon
The Google Pixel camera keeps changing – when did you like it most?
Google spent years selling the Pixel on the premise of its camera but nowadays, it just doesn’t stand out to the same degree. Earlier this week, I was looking back at some old Pixel photos and couldn’t help but miss the days when the Pixel camera really shone at its brightest.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing Phone (1) gets ‘Privacy space’ in latest update on top of Android 15
The Nothing Phone (1) is on its last year of software support and, before closing up shop, the device has just picked up one of Android 15’s core features in Private Space – or at least Nothing’s take on it.
Expand Expanding CloseReport: Galaxy S25 Edge sales are ‘sluggish’ as Samsung makes major production cuts
According to a new report, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge is falling short of expectations, with sluggish sales and major cuts to production already taking place.
Expand Expanding CloseOakley Meta smart glasses bring better video and 8-hour battery life from $399
Meta has just announced its new Oakley smart glasses which function much like existing Ray-Ban models at their core, but have a few key upgrades, including better battery life and video quality.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung has its own earthquake alert system with options Google should consider [Gallery]
Samsung often builds its own alternatives to Google services, and it turns out that the company is building its own version of Android’s earthquake alerts system, and it has some options Google should perhaps consider.
Expand Expanding CloseKlarna, the buy now pay later company, wants to be your carrier with $40/mo plans
The rise of MVNOs has made it possible for some interesting names to power your mobile phone service. Google, Ryan Reynolds, and… others, have all been attached to their own mobile phone carriers. Now, Klarna is joining the ring with its own $40/month plans – and yes, that’s the “buy now pay later” people.
Expand Expanding CloseWyze’s ‘VerifiedView’ promises no one else can view your camera feed… anymore
Wyze continues to put out very clever and affordable smart home devices and cameras, but a sour note on the company for years has been a security incident that allowed your camera’s feed to be viewed by others. With its new “VerfiedView” security, Wyze promises that can’t happen anymore.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing Phone (3) has ‘Glyph Matrix’ lights in corner, leaked design was likely wrong [Video]
After a bunch of teasers, Nothing has offered a first look at the new “Glyph Matrix” lights on the back of Nothing Phone (3), while also disproving a recent leaked design.
Expand Expanding CloseOnePlus is rumored to be working on its own 8-inch Android gaming tablet
OnePlus has been making some of the best full-size Android tablets on the market as of late, and now a rumor suggests that the company is planning on making its own 8-inch Android tablet for gamers.
Expand Expanding CloseReport: Google’s switch to TSMC for Pixel 10 chip was a ‘shock’ and wake-up call for Samsung
According to a new report, Google’s switch from Samsung’s foundry to TSMC for the Tensor G5 chip in the upcoming Pixel 10 series was a “shock” for Samsung, and is serving as a wake-up call for the company’s foundry efforts.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and Watch 8 series tipped to launch on July 9
According to a reliable leaker, Samsung’s next Unpacked event for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and Galaxy Watch 8 series will take place on July 9.
Expand Expanding CloseNFC will work from further away to improve ‘reliability’ in tap to pay and more
NFC is an increasingly useful technology in the modern world, and now it’s getting a range boost as the standard will now operate at 2cm away, nearly four times the previous requirement in a change aimed at improving the reliability of actions such as tap to pay.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube slows down videos for ad blockers, prepares more 30-second unskippable ads
YouTube continues its war on ad blockers, recently showing a notice that confirms videos are slightly slowed down for ad blocker users, while the platform is preparing for longer ad formats.
Expand Expanding CloseThe brains that built the Pixel camera just launched ‘Project Indigo,’ not on Android yet [Gallery]
Adobe this week announced “Project Indigo,” a new camera app that was built by the brains behind the Pixel camera, but it’s not on Android just yet.
Expand Expanding CloseThis wild ‘Atomic Workbench’ feature lets you run five Android apps at once [Video]
Split-screen multitasking has been a part of Android for years, but new form factors have led to some brands coming up with unique ways to build on that idea. With its new “Atomic Workbench,” Vivo wants to let you use up to five Android apps at once on its new foldable.
Expand Expanding CloseMeta’s Oakley smart glasses are for athletes and cost ‘around $360,’ Prada glasses also coming
Meta is expanding its smart glasses lineup not with the futuristic “Orion” just yet, but with Oakley joining Ray-Ban later this week with new glasses.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing Phone (3) will get five years of Android updates
The Nothing Phone (3) will be getting the longest support timeline of any Nothing Phone thus far, but it still lags just a bit behind the rest of the industry in terms of Android updates.
Expand Expanding CloseSomeone is trying to revive BlackBerry (again) by putting new specs and Android in old devices
After its Android revival didn’t work out so well, many thought BlackBerry was gone for good, but a new project breathes new life into old hardware by replacing the internals and installing a new version of Android.
Expand Expanding CloseLenovo Legion Tab drops to $449 again as competition nears
The Lenovo Legion Tab is perhaps the best iPad Mini alternative available to Android users, and now its biggest discount is back.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s first Android XR headset reportedly releasing in October
According to a new report out of Korea, Samsung is planning to launch its first Android XR headset in September, with the actual release date beginning in October.
Expand Expanding CloseNothing says Essential Space will remain free, at least in its current form
Nothing’s Essential Space feature is a clever use of AI, but a potential price point spotted for the feature suggested that it would be anything but cheap in the long run. In a new video, though, Nothing says that, at least in its current form, Essential Space won’t come with a price tag.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy Watch 8 Classic will only come in one size, latest leak reiterates
It’s been relatively clear through recent leaks that Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 Classic will only be offering a single size option, but now another reliable source is pretty much cementing that as fact.
Expand Expanding ClosePhilips Hue launches new ‘Wall Washer’ light, AI-powered scene generation coming soon
Philips Hue is launching a new “Wall Washer” light that is designed to fill a wall with light, and it’s arriving ahead of support for AI-powered scene generation.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube TV giving some subscribers a $10 monthly discount – here’s how to find it
Following its latest price hike early this year, YouTube TV is now showing an option to get a $10 monthly discount, but it’s a bit buried.
Expand Expanding Close