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
The OnePlus 13 is geared up for a global release in the near future and, ahead of its debut, the device has been officially confirmed to lack Qi2 charging, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use MagSafe accessories.
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Matter has been a big deal for the smart home, even if it wasn’t quite as impactful as many were hoping. However, one bright spot has been that Matter made it possible for Eve’s smart home products to work for Android users, and that’s now led to the debut of the first Eve app for Android alongside support for the Eve Thermo.
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After announcing plans to purchase the company in February, Walmart has officially closed on its deal with Vizio, buying out the TV maker for over $2 billion, and it’s all about ads.
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Samsung is reportedly planning on making some changes to its foldables in 2025, with Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 both set to include larger displays.
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The latest wireless Android Auto adapter, AAWireless TWO, has just come back in stock after quickly selling out on its initial launch.
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Over a decade after Google bought Waze, the search giant is finally using reporting data from the crowdsourced navigation app within Google Maps and, as it turns out, that works on Android Auto too.
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Following the Watch 6 last month, Samsung is now bringing its One UI 6 Watch update, with Wear OS 5, to the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch FE.
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Samsung is actively rolling out the November 2024 security update to select Galaxy devices. Here’s which devices have been updated and what’s new in the update.
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Android updates have gotten a lot better over the years, but the frequency still varies from brand to brand. Apparently, Xiaomi will finally be stepping up to a monthly update schedule in 2025 for its Android devices.
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Google’s Android Automotive platform is growing, but one of the things holding it back somewhat has been a lack of compatible apps. Thanks to a clever developer kit, though, it might be a lot easier for more apps to come to Android Automotive going forward.
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According to a report out of Korea, Samsung is planning to launch its smart glasses in January, with the software running on the glasses set to be “unveiled” sometime “this month.”
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Mozilla has updated its Firefox browser on Android with support for defaulting to the desktop version of websites on large-screen Android devices such as tablets and foldables.
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If you’ve been looking to get a new Wear OS smartwatch, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is already one of the best values you’ll find, but an ongoing trade-in offer combined with Cyber Monday deals makes the smartwatch practically free compared to its usual pricing.
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While Google’s upcoming Pixel Tablet has reportedly been shelved, the device reportedly would have delivered some welcome upgrades including a 120Hz display and support for 4K display output.
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Following its debut in China in October, it’s today been officially confirmed that the OnePlus 13 will be launching globally in January 2025, but stopped short of providing a specific release date.
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Samsung’s One UI 7 update, based on Android 15, is not set to fully launch until early next year, but it’s clear Samsung is eager to release it as the company briefly posted an entire page breaking down the update on its website, right as another big leak reveals apps from One UI 7.
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A small tweak to Google Maps on Android Auto has a big impact on the usability of incident reporting when it comes to reporting police activity.
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Over three years after its release, Walmart has just rolled out a very unexpected update on top of Android TV 12 for its 2021 Onn 4K streaming box.
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One of the useful features of Android Auto is the ability to have incoming messages read aloud, but a bizarre issue around WhatsApp has left messages with an unexpected “oh” added on.
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GM has made its stance clear on the future of equipping its vehicles with Android Auto and CarPlay. It won’t be. However, a clever third-party kit promises to restore the functionality.
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“Spotify Mod,” an app used to pirate Spotify Premium features on Android, has been disabled.
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After its launch in October, the first smartphone running on top of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite has just launched in the United States, it’s just not on a device that anyone expected. It also happens to be the first with Android 15 out of the box.
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Motorola is launching its own set of AI features in a new “Moto AI” suite that focuses on three primary features, and they’re available starting today for select devices.
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Following a hands-on video leak, more hands-on images of an alleged Galaxy S25 Ultra have hit the web, showing off the new S Pen and the software.
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