Ben Schoon is a Senior Editor at 9to5Google, a sister site of 9to5Mac. Ben has been working for the publication as one of its primary news writers for the past 5 years. 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 lived with his wife Melissa, married in 2019.
He primarily covers Android products, including Google Pixel devices, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, as well as devices from OnePlus, Oppo, LG, 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; Galaxy S21 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro, Fitbit Versa 3, Nest Thermostat, Galaxy Z Fold 2, and Fitbit Sense.
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.
Foldables opened the door to a whole new world of smartphones just a few years ago, but somehow the entire Android market has settled into just two form factors – clamshell flip phones and book-style devices that just open up to double the width of a normal smartphone screen. As the inevitable “iPhone Fold” approaches, though, it seems Apple is looking to revive a form factor that Android brands, including Google Pixel, once tried, but failed to keep around, and there’s a clear reason why that happened.
After Google pivoted away from its stout book-like foldable form factor found in the original Pixel Fold, Apple’s coming iPhone Fold and a future Samsung foldable may just end up copying the same idea.
As a part of the Android 16 QPR3 beta update that rolled out to Google Pixel phones yesterday, Google has also updated its emoji set to include a few refreshed designs ahead of a larger update to come.
Google Maps has recently rolled out a change where, at least on iOS, the app will automatically detect that you’ve parked your vehicle and save that location, and it will also now show it with a custom icon.
YouTube is listening to feedback and officially launching “Recap,” its own take on Spotify’s popular Wrapped, which will walk you through a recap of your past year using the platform.
Nomad is updating its signature “Stand One” lineup with Qi2 support, which means Pixel 10 and iPhone 17 owners have a new Qi2 25W option that includes a second charger for their Pixel Buds or AirPods.
In a leaked image and a note from a trusted leaker, Samsung is allegedly going to be copying the “Cosmic Orange” color that Apple just introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro.
Ahead of its formal debut in the near future, Xiaomi is showing off the new Xiaomi 17 Pro, which has an iPhone-like camera bar on the back, but uses that real estate for a rear display.
Following an early leak yesterday, a new set of renders has essentially confirmed that the Galaxy S26 Edge will look a lot like Apple’s next iPhone, while apparently also adding Qi2 magnets.
Google Photos is rolling out support for making custom stickers from your photos, but it only works on iOS with seemingly no plans to bring it to Android.
Google is clearly trying to get more people to switch to Pixel 10, as the company has just launched a new “Head Start” tool that walks users through the process of moving into their new phone.
Today’s big Made by Google event for the Pixel 10 was… something, but if nothing else, it showed a Google that was confident in the product it was bringing to the table. That included Google making a lot of jokes directed straight at Apple while talking about the Pixel 10’s various updates and features.
Spotify recently introduced a “Create” button along its bottom navigation bar, but it’s really not that helpful. Thankfully, Spotify has fixed this in a new update that lets you turn the “Create” button off.
In a new interview, Samsung’s Won-Joon Choi has commented on how Samsung will stay ahead when Apple releases its first foldable, as well as discussing…
In its continued “Best Phones Forever” series, Google pokes a bit of fun at how many iOS 26 features are “inspired” by Pixel, while also teasing the Pixel 10.
The Apple Watch is a stellar wearable, and one that’s enticing enough to prevent many from switching to Android. But with its upcoming foldable, Vivo claims to, somehow, support the Apple Watch.
President Trump has confirmed that the 25% tariff mentioned for iPhone earlier today will also apply to Samsung and “anybody” making smartphones outside of the United States.
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.
