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
An issue with Google Maps as of late has left users without the ability to see alternate routes on the mobile app and car platforms such as Android Auto.
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The Nothing Phone (3) is coming soon and new rumors swirling around the device suggest we’ll get better cameras, a bigger battery, and more.
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Google is rolling out the latest Android Auto update widely, with version 14.3 now available through the Play Store.
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Nothing has just announced that it will be making a pair of over-ear headphones that will launch very soon, and as a fan of the company’s earbuds, I couldn’t be more excited.
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Microsoft is making a big change with its Bing search engine, with the announcement that Bing Search APIs will shut down later this year and AI services being the sole replacement.
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Xiaomi has just announced that it will make its own smartphone chip – the XRING 01 – which will debut in future devices.
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While Lenovo’s Legion Tab sits mostly unchallenged in the small Android tablet space, Redmagic is cooking up a 9-inch tablet with an OLED display that’s already compelling, and a new battery spec makes it even more enticing.
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Sony makes some of the best headphones with active noise cancellation, but a big change to the design in recent years removed the convenient foldable mechanism. With its new WH-1000XM6 release, Sony appears to be bringing back the foldable design alongside other improvements.
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According to a new report, Samsung has plans to implement new battery tech in upcoming devices, but it’s not quite what many are hoping to see.
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During its “Brandcast” this week, YouTube revealed a new strategy to insert ads into videos which will leverage AI to put those ads into the most important parts of a video.
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After launching early this year with Android 14, Lenovo has updated its Legion Tab to Android 15 in recent weeks, but there’s a reason the update went under the radar.
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Walmart has enforced that its Onn lineup of Google TV devices is exclusive to US customers, but the retailer has quietly started expanding the Onn 4K Pro into Canada.
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Lenovo has launched its new Legion Tab in China, revealing its specs and changes, including the return of a microSD card slot.
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A new change in Android Auto is in development, with the buttons for the media player potentially being shuffled around which could impact muscle memory.
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According to a report, Samsung is already planning to launch a “Galaxy S26 Edge” next year, despite middling reception of the first generation this week, and even replace one of its existing devices in the process.
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Google has confirmed that there are now over 250 million cars on the road with Android Auto support, up 50 million in roughly a year.
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Google’s Pixel 9a has been widely been praised as a solid “affordable” phone, but a new teardown criticizes it for a key component – a battery that’s nearly impossible to safely replace.
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In a sort of post-credits scene to “The Android Show” today, Google shared a brief clip of Nothing’s Carl Pei showcasing the brand as a whole, as well as confirming the price range of the upcoming Nothing Phone (3).
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One of the biggest downsides of Android’s Find My Device network – now called the “Find Hub” – was a lack of UWB (ultra-wideband) support for easily finding nearby trackers. Now, that’s finally about to be available, and Google is also teasing luggage and airline integration too.
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After a years-long wait, Apple finally added RCS messaging support to the iPhone last year, and that’s resulted in over 1 billion RCS messages being sent every day in the US alone between both Android and iOS devices.
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As expected, Google is bringing Gemini to Android Auto and Android Automotive starting “in the coming months,” and there’s an early preview of what it will be capable of.
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Samsung was thought to have abandoned its Messages app over the past few years, but the company seems to have a renewed interest in it, with RCS having been enabled last year, and some more new features being spotted in the pipeline.
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Spotify is rolling out a new update to its AI-powered DJ service that allows users to make “requests” while the app itself is picking up some useful quality of life improvements such as the ability to sort playlists.
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As AI continues to be a core focus of its search experience, Google appears to now be testing the replacement of its iconic “I’m Feeling Lucky” button with a new button for its AI Mode.
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