Ben Schoon is a Senior Editor at NewGeekGuide, 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 NewGeekGuide 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
The Nothing Phone (3) may not have the chipset many were expecting, but it’s still shaping up to be an enticing new device. In the latest leak, we’re getting a better idea around the battery and charging situation, with Nothing Phone (3) set to beat both Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy flagships in both metrics.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series will reportedly use Snapdragon chips, but ones made by Samsung’s foundry rather than TSMC if a new report turns out to be true.
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According to a new report, Google is finally addressing a long-standing shortcoming of Pixel displays by adjusting the PWM refresh rate on its Pro phones this year, while upgrading the brightness across the board.
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Google TV has taken the focus of Android TV for the most part, including with major OS upgrades slowly vanishing from the older experience. Walmart recently rolled out one of the only Android TV 14 updates to date to some of its older devices, but has since pulled the update.
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Following the wide rollout of Android Auto 14.4 earlier this month, Google has made Android Auto 14.5 more broadly available while also testing not one, but two new versions in beta.
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While Samsung’s upcoming launch event is primary for new foldables, the company is also teasing a new pair of Galaxy Buds called the “Core,” but they’re coming up a lot sooner than the new smartphones.
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In the smart home world, Philips Hue already has some of the more expensive options, and now those prices are going even higher thanks to US tariffs.
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Hopping on board with the ongoing trend, Google has just started selling an Android “shoe charm” that works with Crocs.
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Xiaomi is teasing the launch of the Mix Flip 2 right as Samsung prepares to launch its new foldables, and, despite being a flip phone, it has a bigger battery than both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and even the Fold 7, for that matter.
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Waymo’s robotaxi service has arrived in Atlanta, and you can now book it through the Uber app.
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The Nest x Yale Lock was a pillar of Google’s smart home for years, and perhaps for much longer than it really should have been. Now, a successor of sorts has finally arrived in the new Yale Smart Lock with Matter, which is also the first “Google Home Preferred” product.
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If you’ve used Google Pay at all in recent weeks, you’re probably more than familiar with the “Pay Later” functionality that has recently rolled out. Now, Klarna and Google Pay have officially announced the functionality.
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According to a new report, Google is planning to jump to TSMC’s 2nm process for Tensor G6 faster than it has in prior years.
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Samsung’s flip phone foldable is getting a little brother this year, with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE set to deliver a more affordable experience, and a new leak shows off just how the two differ in design – and it’s really obvious.
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After months of rumors and plenty of recent leaks, Samsung has just officially confirmed the launch date for its next devices, with a July 9 event set to unveil the company’s new devices, and a teaser video hinting at the new updates to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 while also free reservations for its new devices have opened up on Samsung’s website.
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Google has been showing off its prototype Android XR glasses a lot as of late, and a new image shows off the companion app that looks like what we know from Pixel Watch, while also referring to the glasses as “Martha.”
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Google has released Android Auto 14.7 through its beta program and while there are no user-facing changes just yet, this update is the biggest step we’ve seen to date towards releasing the platform’s light theme option.
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According to a new report, Google’s upcoming Pixel 10 Pro Fold will somehow be the first foldable with dust resistance that matches a traditional smartphone, and that just seems way too good to be true.
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Trackers for Android’s Find Hub network are quickly becoming easy to find in a variety of form factors, and at a ton of different price points. But they’re all quite similar in that they’re just an AirTag, but for Android. With its AirNotch Pro and AirCard Pro, though, Rolling Square has crafted what have quickly become my favorite Find Hub trackers.
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Samsung’s stagnation in the foldable market is finally coming to an end, as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is catching up with the competition in some major ways. However, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 actually has me pretty excited, and not just because it’s going to be super thin.
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Android is on a lot of different things, but even after a decade of covering the platform, I’m still surprised by some of the things that roll across my desk. Or, I guess in this case, across my home, as I’ve lately been trying out what is basically a 32-inch Android tablet on wheels. My question to you – what would you use it for?
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More affordable smartphones have been good for years now, but it’s also getting harder to tell them all apart. With the new Honor 400, a good smartphone is the backdrop for a heavy focus on AI features. Truly a product of its time.
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Google spent years selling the Pixel on the premise of its camera but nowadays, it just doesn’t stand out to the same degree. Earlier this week, I was looking back at some old Pixel photos and couldn’t help but miss the days when the Pixel camera really shone at its brightest.
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The Nothing Phone (1) is on its last year of software support and, before closing up shop, the device has just picked up one of Android 15’s core features in Private Space – or at least Nothing’s take on it.
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