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
Nothing has just announced new updates to Essential Space, its AI-powered hub, which includes support for Google Calendar as well as updates to the new “Flip to Record” feature on Phone (3).
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Following a reported deal earlier this year, OpenAI has confirmed that it will start running ChatGPT on Google Cloud services.
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Honor claims that its Magic V5 is “the world’s slimmest foldable,” but a comparison between Honor’s device and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 seems to show that Samsung’s device is actually just a bit thinner.
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After launching three generations of smartwatches that can’t be repaired, Google is reportedly making changes to the Pixel Watch 4 that allow for repairs, but details are incredibly vague at this point.
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Fast Pair was first announced for Google TV back in early 2022, but there’s a good chance you still don’t have it today. As it turns out, the feature has quietly been limited to just a handful of devices, though it could expand at any point.
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If you’ve woken up to check your Fitbit app this morning only to find data missing and your device unable to sync, you’re not alone as an outage is causing problems.
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Nothing Headphone (1) bucks a lot of trends in the audio space in terms of design, standing out on its own as unique. In a slight twist, though, Nothing turns out to have made a second Headphone (1) case that’s pretty familiar, because it’s just like the one from AirPods Max.
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Beeper, the app that infamously tried (and briefly succeeded) in bringing iMessage to Android, is getting a big update with improved privacy as well as a subscription that unlocks a bunch of new features.
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Silicon-carbon batteries have made it possible for recent smartphones to launch with huge batteries, but many have been wondering why the tech hasn’t made its way to more smartphones, such as Samsung’s Galaxy lineup, Google Pixel devices, the iPhone, and others, and there are two key reasons for this.
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To say that Qi2 has been a messy launch is a bit of an understatement, but it sounds like the Wireless Power Consortium has some plans for what comes next, as a new teaser hints at a “new era” of Qi wireless charging that will be further detailed next week.
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Samsung is planning a big expansion of AI features on Galaxy phones, and claims that a huge percentage of its users are already leveraging AI features in one way or another.
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Available now from the company’s website, a new 2-in-1 SuperVOOC cable supports charging both your OnePlus smartphone and OnePlus Watch at full speed using a single cable.
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OnePlus has just detailed its new “Plus Mind” update for the OnePlus 13 series, alongside a bunch of other new AI features in the pipeline.
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Samsung hasn’t fully adopted Qi2 in Galaxy smartphones yet, with the focus instead seemingly being on making phones thinner. In a new survey, though, Samsung is directly asking users if they’d prefer proper Qi2 support over a thinner smartphone.
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Pixel 6a owners were forced to install a new update earlier this month that, for some, will have a considerable impact on battery life. Things seem to be going a bit better than expected, but Pixel 6a owners are indeed feeling the effects.
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According to a new report, Google’s Pixel Watch 4 will get a bigger battery and even faster charging, despite offering a similar overall package.
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New findings show that Google is working on a redesign for the “Now Playing” widget on Google Pixel devices, adding more functionality and information to the lockscreen.
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T-Mobile has been putting out its lineup of “Revvl” smartphones for a while now, and the company has another in the pipeline as we’ve just spotted the first image of the upcoming T-Mobile Revvl 8 Pro.
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If you have a Pebblebee Clip, one of the first trackers for Android’s Find Hub network, you’re getting a free new feature in “Alert” which can activate a siren as well as sending your location to a “Circle” of friends and family in an emergency.
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According to a new report, Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold will pack a handful of key spec changes, including a bigger battery.
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Google appears to be working on a new and fairly major update to its “At a Glance” feature on Pixel which will deliver new cards for sports scores, birthday reminders, and potentially even more.
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A new leak offers some insight into Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series, including that there will only be three models, and they might debut alongside a new Galaxy Ring.
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It seems that Samsung is building out a new alternative to Android Auto called “Auto DeX” which supports a car-optimized UI, and might even work when your car doesn’t support it.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 is an impressive jump for the company’s book-style foldable, delivering a needed upgrade and some major improvements. But if we’re looking to crown the biggest upgrade in foldable history, I think Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold still earns that title.
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