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 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
This weekend, YouTube removed the long-running experiment that allowed iPhone and iPad users to keep watching videos in picture-in-picture mode. Now, YouTube has confirmed that its iOS app is in the process of rolling out picture-in-picture support to everyone on iOS 15 and up.
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While Spotify’s Car Thing device isn’t exactly pointless, it certainly has a narrow use case as we detailed in our recent review. Now, Spotify Car Thing is picking up its first major update with the ability to answer phone calls, control other apps, and more.
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Cellular plans in the US are far from cheap, but there are some good deals out there. Verizon’s Visible has become a favorite by offering one of the best networks in the US, unlimited data, and affordable prices. However, following a recent promotion, some Visible account holders have unexpectedly lost their accounts.
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Spotify has been working on its own car hardware for a while, with “Car Thing” having gone on sale last year for a limited number of interested users. Starting today, though, Spotify Car Thing is available to everyone in the US, just in time for a major update to the product.
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Google’s YouTube TV service, despite its high price, is one of the best ways to keep live channels without traditional cable. Now, in an interview, a YouTube TV exec has confirmed that picture-in-picture support is coming to iOS and surround sound will see expanded support too.
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In the United States, carriers are the place where most smartphones are sold. Rather than buying these devices at their full cost, too, payment plans are usually the go-to for many. This week, Verizon has quietly done away with shorter payment plans, in favor of a new 36-month device contract.
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Fortnite is still a massive hit, but Epic Games’ war on app stores has left the popular game absent from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store for a long time, with no signs of returning. Today, Nvidia and Epic Games have announced that touch controls are coming to Fortnite on GeForce Now.
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Messaging is a core part of any smartphone, and it’s something that Apple has really nailed with the iPhone and iMessage. Googlers have voiced their frustration recently over how Apple uses iMessage as a tool for lock-in and while Apple’s resistance to RCS and other cross-platform standards is certainly annoying, the context of Google’s countless failures in messaging don’t really help the company’s case.
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While many iOS users default to Safari for their browsing needs, Google Chrome is ready for cross-platform syncing and more. However, an update rolling out over the past few days is causing issues for Google Chrome users on iOS that result in the app freezing entirely.
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While Android users usually turn to Wear OS for a smartwatch and iPhone owners default to the Apple Watch, there are some great options out there that focus on fitness above all else. That’s what Garmin has been known for, and this year, the company is introducing the Venu 2 Plus and Vivomove Sport, both with a neat take on how to use a voice assistant on your smartwatch.
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Messaging on Android is still sort of a mess, but third-party apps can step in to solve the problems that Google apparently cannot. Today, one of the best messaging services, Telegram, announced the long-awaited debut of message reactions and more in its latest update.
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Cloud gaming had a bit of a rocky start on iOS, but Mac services such as Google Stadia and Nvidia GeForce Now have been able to deliver games that might otherwise not be available on macOS to Apple’s computers. Today, Nvidia is expanding GeForce Now to support 1600p resolution on MacBooks with the upgraded RTX 3080 tier.
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After launching a beta test in recent weeks, Epic Games and Psyonix are now launching the mobile version of Rocket League, “Sideswipe,” on Android and iOS devices across the globe.
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MediaTek powers quite a lot of Android phones, but the company’s higher-end offerings have never lived up to the likes of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon line. However, the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 may finally change that story if the company’s claims turn out to be true.
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Tensor is the first mobile chip Google has ever designed for its Pixel smartphones, and as we explained in our review earlier this week, the performance feels indistinguishable from the best Snapdragon flagships. However, it also puts up an impressive comparison with Apple’s chips in the iPhone 13 Pro Max, with a Pixel 6 speed test being a very close call.
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Picture quality has always been the biggest strength of the Google Pixel lineup, but Apple has come back in a big way with its latest iPhone models, taking the crown away from Google. With a major update to its setup in the Pixel 6 series, the comparison with iPhone 13 Pro tells a very different story.
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A few months after its reveal at Google I/O 2021, Google started rolling out its new Android TV remote in the Google TV app last month. Now, the company is confirming plans to bring the same functionality to the Google Home app on Android and iOS devices.
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While the US and other regions are shining more of a spotlight on Google and the Play Store, the EU has already issued a 2018 ruling that imposed Google with a $5 billion fine over anticompetitive practices on Android. Google is fighting that fine, and slamming EU regulators over turning a blind eye to Apple.
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Google Stadia gameplay came to iOS devices earlier this year through the web, but the recent iOS 15 upgrade has broken the service for many users. If things are not working properly for you, here’s how to get it patched up.
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Most smartwatches compatible with Android smartphones usually offer support for Apple’s iOS platform too, but that tune might be changing. With its Galaxy Watch 4 series, Samsung has quietly dropped support for iOS.
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Messaging has always been a tough point for Android phones compared to iPhones simply because iMessage is, put simply, very good both for its experience and its security. As Google finally solves that problem with expanded adoption of RCS with end-to-end encryption, the company is pushing for its rival, Apple, to do the same by pointing out that the current fallback method instantly drops security.
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There are countless Easter eggs hidden throughout Google products, whether they’re online or in various apps. Recently, a new one was discovered within the Google app on iOS that lets you play a pinball/brick breaker game.
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If you live in an area with poor internet infrastructure, downloading content for offline use is a crucial feature. Now, Netflix is enhancing its offline option with the ability for users to watch TV shows and movies before they’ve completely finished downloading.
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After rolling out the features on Android in recent months, Google Photos on iOS is getting an editing overhaul this week.
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