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
One of the interesting aspects of the Pixel 9 series was that the base Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro could use the same cases. With the design of the Pixel 10 series almost exactly matching its predecessor, there was minimal hope that cases would be interchangeable, but that hope has been dashed.
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The Nothing Phone (3) is said to be the brand’s first “true” flagship, but it’ll be missing at least one flagship spec, as the company has just announced that it will forgo the use of Snapdragon 8 Elite and instead use the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset.
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Ahead of its July 8 release, the OnePlus Pad Lite has just seen its first official teaser, just as a leak divulges its specs and other details.
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The Galaxy Watch 4’s days are numbered, as Samsung has just signaled the end of support for the 2021 release.
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We’re just a few short weeks away from Samsung’s next big Galaxy launch, with the Galaxy Watch 8 series in tow, and now we’re getting both a better image of what these new smartwatches look like, and what the lineup as a whole really entails.
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Android 16 just got its initial release, and now Motorola has confirmed a starting list of devices set to be updated.
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Lucid Air vehicles are finally getting support for Android Auto via their latest software update, available starting today.
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Macro photography isn’t something everyone uses on a daily basis, but it’s still a nice feature to have. With its upcoming Pixel 10 release, Google is reportedly looking to boost macro photos with the help of its telephoto camera.
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A new, smaller OnePlus Watch 3 size is set to launch next month alongside a new pair of OnePlus Buds 4, and they’ll both be coming to the US.
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Samsung has just announced its first beta of One UI 8 Watch for Galaxy Watch, but this is the first time that the company won’t be releasing the beta to all of its Wear OS models.
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Google released Android 16 to Pixel users this week, an early release and a big milestone. But despite this update truly having a lot to offer in the long run, it has made an incredibly boring debut for users, and at a time where Android really has a chance to shine above its main competition.
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I’m continually impressed with robot vacuums and mops, but I’m also tired of ending with the asterisk of “but it’s $1,000+.” That’s why the Narwal Freo Pro is pretty compelling, as it delivers a focused robot mop that’s not going to break the bank.
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Google TV is getting a faster setup process for new devices, and it’s much easier and faster than it used to be.
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Alongside iOS 26 and a plethora of other updates previewed at WWDC earlier this week, Apple also showed off new improvements to CarPlay which feel familiar, mostly because they feel like bringing the original Android Auto experience into the modern era.
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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 is expected to be drastically thinner than previous models, and a new piece of retail marketing shows just how much of a difference that makes to the design.
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The reboot of Pebble smartwatches is nearing its release, as the “Core 2 Duo” will begin shipping next month, and there’s also some good news for original Pebble owners as well.
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Finding a good replacement remote for Google TV devices has been a bit annoying for a while now, but Walmart is now directly selling its official Google TV remote for a mere $13 price tag, and with fast delivery.
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Google was supposed to hold an exclusive early preview event later this month, but the company has canceled the Superfans event that was expected to offer a preview of the Pixel 10.
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Spotify is rolling out a new feature that allows user to remotely download playlists to their smartwatch (Wear OS included) from their smartphone app, alongside better overall management of downloads.
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Earthquake alerts on Android can save lives, and now they’re extending to your wrist with an update bringing the functionality to Wear OS.
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Robot vacuums have come a long way over the years, but I don’t think anyone expected we’d have these machines running around our homes with a robotic arm any time soon. Yet, here we are. The Roborock Saros Z70 has a built-in robotic arm that extends to pick up objects it finds, but after living with it for a couple of weeks, here’s why I think this idea needs a bit more time in the oven.
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If you’re struggling with Google services right now, you’re not alone as it appears that a partial outage is affecting many of the company’s various apps and services.
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After a hint earlier this year, it has now been officially confirmed that Nothing Phone (3) will be sold in the US market, and with actual carrier support behind it too.
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Wireless Android Auto adapters aren’t hard to find nowadays and they’re also cheaper than ever, but you might end up paying a few more dollars for the more well-known and reliable models. Motorola MA1 is often sold for $70 or more, but is currently discounted to just $35.
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