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
With the help of changes in Android Auto, Spotify is getting a brand new app for the platform that includes support for its “Jam” feature.
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Android Auto is set to pick up a few updates in the coming months, and Google has just teased another one with some changes to how media apps can look and work.
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President Trump has confirmed that the 25% tariff mentioned for iPhone earlier today will also apply to Samsung and “anybody” making smartphones outside of the United States.
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Samsung’s first beta for One UI 8, based on Android 16, is right around the corner, and it really seems like it could live at any moment as the company is detailing a new sign-up process.
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First launched earlier this year as a rare small, but powerful Android tablet, the Lenovo Legion Tab has now dropped to $450.
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In late 2024, the popular Chrome extension Honey was exposed for shady tactics including simply not doing what it was promised to do, with uninstalls following suit and Honey now dropping down to 15 million users from a peak of over 20 million.
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As its rollout continues, Samsung has just posted an updated One UI 7 schedule for Galaxy devices, with many more updates coming in June.
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AAWireless makes it easy to add wireless Android Auto to your car, and now AAWireless TWO+ is getting its first release with support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
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Honor’s latest mid-range series has arrived with the Honor 400 and Honor 400 Pro bringing, you guessed it, a ton of AI starting at €499.
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The AI takeover of Search is in full swing, especially as Google’s new AI Mode is going live for all US users. But for publishers, this continues the existential crisis around how Google Search is changing, with a new statement calling AI Mode “the definition of theft” while legal documents reveal that Google did consider opt out controls that ultimately weren’t implemented.
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It’s no secret that Samsung is going to launch its Android 16 update in the very near future – despite having just released its Android 15 update – and now the company’s own website is showing that the beta is right around the corner.
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In development for years now, Google’s light theme for Android Auto appears to be right around the corner, and the company has just shown it off for the first time.
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Google is partnering with Oppo to support app integration between Oppo’s apps and Gemini.
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Samsung is finally bringing some major changes to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 this year, and the first hands-on leak is showing off just how different it will be.
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Rumors have been back and forth, but a new report claims that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 will indeed run on top of the Exynos 2500 chip.
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Google has been working on support for Bluetooth’s Auracast function in Android for a while now, and now “Audio Sharing” has returned, hopefully for good, in Android 16 QPR1.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is getting a big redesign as we’ve heard previously, and now leaked renders are showing just how different it will be.
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Volvo and Google have announced a new deal that will bring new Android Automotive features to Volvo’s vehicles faster, starting with Gemini support.
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Among the many visual updates in Android 16, there are also some functional changes, including the return of a one-tap Do Not Disturb function in the Quick Settings.
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The well-known watch face app Facer was forced to depart from Wear OS last year, but it’s coming back soon with some big changes.
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Google One is seeing one of its plan options vanish, with the cost of adding more storage past 10TB immediately jumping by a whopping $200 – but that’s only what it looks like at first.
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Android XR will see its debut on Samsung’s “Project Moohan” headset, but we’re now getting a first look at the second option, XREAL’s “Project Aura.”
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After launching in the US and select other regions earlier this year, YouTube Premium Lite is now expanding to a few more countries – here’s the full list.
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Google’s first preview of Wear OS 6 has arrived, with some major redesigns in tow. Here’s a first look.
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