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
As it continues its Black Friday offers, Samsung is currently heavily emphasizing the purchase of its Galaxy Z Fold 6, offering $800 off the foldable with no trade-in required.
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According to a new report, Xiaomi is planning to start producing its own mobile chipsets, taking a note from Google’s Tensor chips used in Pixel.
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Google seems to be hitting record numbers with the Pixel’s growth in the US market, but some numbers that were a little bit unbelievable keep changing, though there’s a clear trend regardless.
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After a devastating ban in 2019, Huawei has officially moved on from Android with “HarmonyOS Next,” a platform which no longer supports Android app, which launches on the company’s latest smartphones.
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Google Maps recently launched a major update for incident reporting, but it’s now rolling out a slight change that marks the location of police activity rather than speed traps.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra is on its way, but surfacing early in a new video leak that shows off how drastically the design is changing.
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Truly wireless earbuds are basically a commodity at this point. You can find options at any price point that sound decent and work well enough. But many of those don’t last, or have some random, deal-breaking flaw. Finding the “right” pair has often ended up costing hundreds of dollars, and even then, there can still be big problems at play. Over the past few months, though, I’ve been using the earbuds that have cracked the formula – Nothing Ear, Ear (a), and Ear (open) – and I don’t think there’s any point in searching further when these exist.
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Google has introduced a new feature on iOS that injects links on third-party websites that take users back to Google Search.
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Following two smartwatch releases in 2024, there’s apparently a OnePlus Watch 3 in development which could arrive unexpectedly soon.
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The Nvidia Shield TV is getting another new update, but a known issue is that it could break support for Google Home.
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Android’s Find My Device network might not be as useful as it should be, but it can still be a handy tool for tracking down lost items. If you’re looking to pick up a Find My Device tracker for your Android device, the Pebblebee Clip is seeing its biggest discount to date.
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As OnePlus rolls out its Android 15 update surprisingly quickly, the brand is now rolling out the update to its foldable, the OnePlus Open, but you’ll need to wait a bit longer for other regions.
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Google TV is picking up some new free channels and additional integrations from an unlikely place… The Roku Channel.
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Google’s Pixel Tablet is a product that’s a bit outside of the norm, probably to its detriment, but in crafting upcoming sequels, I hope Google doesn’t lose the charm of the first generation.
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The OnePlus Open was easily the best foldable released in 2023, clearing a relatively low bar left by its competition. How does it hold up a year later? I’ve spent some time with the OnePlus Open Apex Edition lately to find out, and it’s more of a mixed bag this time around.
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Google TV has introduced a new ad format that throws a gigantic QR code on top of the subject matter.
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First launched in beta in 2023, Samsung has officially launched its own cloud gaming services for Galaxy devices in the US.
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WhatsApp is updating how you see when another user is typing with a new typing indicator that’s available to more users.
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The release of One UI 7, Samsung’s Android 15 update, has been delayed time and time again, but it’s finally nearing, and new reports offer a bit of context as to when the beta might be released.
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Security systems have been around for a long time now, but for many, they’re still overly complicated, overly expensive, and not as well integrated with the new wave of smart home products. ADT, one of the biggest names in home security, has been on a mission to change that and after a false start in 2023, the new ADT+ system is a huge upgrade, especially for those in Google’s Nest ecosystem.
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As the year nears its end, Google TV is revealing the most-watched movies and TV shows on the platform for 2024. Here’s the full list.
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If you’re looking to get a wireless Android Auto adapter around Black Friday, good news, as Motorola MA1 is hitting one of its lowest prices thanks to a huge discount just as AAWireless TWO is getting a fresh restock.
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The Oppo Find X8 series is hitting the global market and after spending some time with the new hardware, we think it’s worth your consideration.
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After debuting in China, the Oppo Find X8 series is launching globally and it’s a pretty compelling offer.
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