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
One of the best features of Google TV as of late is the ability to stream a ton of free content directly from the homescreen without any additional login or subscriptions. Google TV Freeplay is constantly adding new channels, and is also preparing for Halloween with a dedicated section of free channels.
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It’s no secret that Google and Samsung have been working on a mixed reality (XR) device of sorts, and now the Play Store is actively preparing for the arrival of “XR headsets.”
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Nothing is launching yet another variant of the Phone (2a), with the new “Community Edition” arriving with a glow in the dark design.
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Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro is one of the best affordable streaming boxes you can buy, but updates seem to have left the device unable to be used outside of approved regions.
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Samsung is running another new promo with Galaxy Watch, offering a $100 trade-in with any other smartwatch in any condition.
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As the teasers continue in China, OnePlus has just confirmed the return of its wood grain designs in new cases for the OnePlus 13, alongside the iconic Sandstone too.
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Google’s Pixel 9a is shaping up to have an earlier launch next year, and as that nears, more information is coming out. But, apparently, Pixel 9a won’t see a price increase.
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According to reports out of Korea, Samsung is exploring a new branding play for its Android smartphones that would be in addition to its iconic “Galaxy” name.
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Google’s mid-range Pixel lineup has offered great specs on the whole, but generally has a smaller battery than the flagship models. According to a new report, though, the Pixel 9a will have a way bigger battery, the same size as the company’s current flagship.
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Google TV has had a handy “Apps only” mode for quite some time that cuts down on clutter, but the feature is now showing ads and recommendations for a lot more users.
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The OnePlus Open was one of the best foldables of the past couple of years, delivering stellar hardware across the board. Its sequel hasn’t arrive just yet, but it’s shaping up to be even better, with leaked information hinting at a OnePlus Open 2 that brings wireless charging despite a much thinner design and a much bigger battery.
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The OnePlus 13 is right around the corner and set to offer a gigantic battery, as well as support for magnetic wireless charging – sort of.
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One of the controversial aspects of Samsung’s upcoming One UI 7 update, based on Android 15, is the decision to split notifications and Quick Settings into two different panes. But, as it turns out, that won’t be forced.
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Google is expected to launch a major update to Quick Settings in Android 16, and one of those new updates may include the ability to resize individual tiles.
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Google and Ford have collaborated on big updates for Android Auto on the automaker’s electric vehicles for routing and finding charging stations.
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Walmart appears to be working on a new Google TV device that might be even more powerful than Google’s latest, the Google TV Streamer. Sorta.
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New data from a large leak of Google’s future Tensor plans reveals that the company may be working on a custom chip for Pixel Watch that could arrive in the next couple of years.
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Animations are a part of basically any modern software, but there are only certain times when you actually notice them. On Android, one of the times it’s unfortunately common to notice animations is when they aren’t as smooth as they should be, and while I’m glad that’s getting better, it’s getting way too much emphasis on one specific area.
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Apple’s Dynamic Island is underused, but its integration with Live Activities on iOS is what really makes it great, and Google seems to be preparing to add something similar to Android in “Rich Ongoing Notifications” in a way that’s remarkably obvious in hindsight.
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One of the biggest appeals of a Chromebook in 2024 is the affordable price tag, as the lightweight but still capable OS allows for a device to punch above its weight class in terms of performance. But the new Lenovo Chromebook Duet is a great reminder that the minimum for Chromebooks today isn’t enough, as it’s a really good tablet that’s held back by a simple spec.
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OnePlus has confirmed plans to pre-install Gemini on future devices, putting Google Assistant in the background.
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A bizarre and abrupt issue has broken Spotify support on Google Nest and Google Home speakers for many users.
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The Quick Share app on Windows is getting a new update that fixes a ton of bugs, but doesn’t add anything particularly new.
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Generative AI tools are impressive, no doubt, but I’ve had a lot of trouble integrating them into my daily life. Even Google’s Gemini, with its far-reaching feature set and integrations, has proven to just… kinda be there for me. What about you? Are you actually using Gemini?
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