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
While its mobile app has had a dark theme for years, Google Photos has just made a dark mode available to all users through its web app.
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While new units are no longer being made, Google has announced that new controls for the Nest x Yale Lock will be coming to the Google Home app soon.
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The Nest brand has been built up for years as it was a pioneer of the smart home, but Google has slowly moved away from what so many people bought into as it has built up the Google Home ecosystem. Now, the Nest you knew is gone for good, and we know what the future looks like.
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It’s no secret that Gemini is coming to Android Auto soon, but it’s not here just yet. Ahead of the rollout, though, Google is removing the Assistant-colored microphone from Android Auto, seemingly as it prepares for the switch.
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Corning has just announced its new “Gorilla Glass Ceramic,” a stronger form of glass for smartphones, but seemingly not the company’s strongest.
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Following availability of the Galaxy A26 and Galaxy A36 in the US this week, Samsung has also finally detailed the Galaxy A56 which the company said would expand to the States “later this year.”
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A new leak shows off Samsung’s upcoming more affordable Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which is just a recycled Galaxy Z Flip 6.
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It was revealed earlier this week that Google would be moving the development of Android entirely behind closed doors for the first time, a change that now appears to have taken effect, but the company isn’t fully cutting out other parties from AOSP.
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The Nothing Phone (2a) was one of my favorite phones of 2024, combining an excellent price point with a really good overall experience. Now, the Nothing Phone (3a) series has arrived and after using both devices, I think the company has nailed it yet again, but I also think there’s a clear choice for customers.
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Google is on a hot streak of releasing new Android Auto versions, with Android Auto 14.1 having just started rolling out to beta users with promised support for select Android games playable on your car’s display.
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Magnetic charging has been a big part of Samsung’s Galaxy S25 launch despite the fact that these phones don’t have magnets built in, but an odd note was the disappearance of a neat 3-in-1 wireless charger. Finally, it has resurfaced, but it’s still not shipping to customers yet.
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Google TV (and Android TV) boxes and streamers have been stuck at a mere 8GB of storage for a long time, but things are finally changing as new hardware hits the market including the new Xiaomi TV Box S which jumps up to 32GB.
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As the grave of Google Stadia continues to draw mockery, Amazon’s cloud gaming service Luna is still thriving, with a new announcement this week bringing new regions online and also expanding available games with a deal with EA that includes Star Wars titles and more.
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In a new community post, Google is reminding Pixel owners of an often-forgotten feature of their cameras, the “Palm Timer.”
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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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