Derrek Lee
Derrek has had a long-time interest in mobile technology since the age of 12, which came out of his love for Nokia phones, particularly models like the Nokia N90. Since then, he closely followed the evolution of tech and the transition of Nokia from Symbian to Windows Phone, which eventually led him to Android with phones like the Moto X Pure Edition and LG G5. Since 2013, Derrek has dipped in and out of tech journalism as nothing more than a passion project while receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Film & Digital Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz. That is until 2020, when he became the news editor for Android Central, guiding the team's coverage of Google, Android, Wear OS, and related topics. Now, as managing editor, Derrek guides the site's editorial content and direction, helping the team reach and resonate with readers, old and new, who are just as passionate about tech as we are.
Throughout his time at Android Central, he has reviewed many products, from phones to smartwatches, smart scales, and even smart rings, establishing himself as an expert with these devices. As a fitness enthusiast, Derrek always looks for ways to incorporate tech into his life by closely examining the intersection of fitness and tech. He is also very passionate about tech being financially accessible, which often drives his decision-making in the types of products he tests out and what he recommends.
Latest articles by Derrek Lee
Amazon earnings boosted by AI, ads, and cost-cutting
By Derrek Lee published
Amazon earnings Amazon's Q1 2024 revenue increased by 13% year over year, thanks to an increase in AI investments and companies looking to AWS to power their services.
News Weekly: Wear OS 5 is coming, TikTok's days are numbered, Meta's big AI upgrade
By Derrek Lee published
News Weekly This week's headlines included a look at what to expect at Google I/O regarding Wear OS, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses getting even smarter, and the U.S. signing the new TikTok ban into law.
Matter: Everything you need to know
By Derrek Lee last updated
Smart home matters Matter is the new smart home alliance between Google, Amazon, Apple, and hundreds of other companies. Here's how it works, what you can do, and which products support it.
Alphabet earnings impress as the AI race heats up
By Derrek Lee published
AI-phabet Alphabet announces its Q1 2024 financial earnings, reporting a 15% increase year-over-year on strong performance from Search, YouTube, and Cloud.
Reddit back online after brief outage
By Derrek Lee published
Offline Reddit suffered through an outage, resulting in error messages and pages unable to load.
Meta Q1 2024 earnings highlight AI focus amid strong Quest sales
By Derrek Lee published
VR+AR+AI Meta released its Q1 2024 earnings on Wednesday, beating revenue expectations with increased ad spend and strong Quest sales.
TikTok's days are literally numbered in the US as bill to ban app is signed into law
By Derrek Lee published
Tick... tock... The U.S. government has signed a new bill into law that could lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok. The company has less than a year to divest the app and find a potential buyer.
Minor Android 15 beta update for Pixels fixes a big problem
By Derrek Lee published
Tap to pay The Android 15 Beta 1.1 patch has addressed a bug from the previous build that broke NFC.
How to use YouTube Music on your Wear OS smartwatch
By Derrek Lee published
Listen on the go YouTube Music has a Wear OS app, and here's how you can start using it on your smartwatch.
News Weekly: Google's big change, live Pixel 9 Pro images, a wooden Motorola phone, and more
By Derrek Lee published
News Weekly Catch up on this week's top headlines in tech.
Google Photos brings its powerful AI editing tools to everyone for free
By Derrek Lee published
Free for all Magic Eraser and other editing tools will be free of charge starting on May 15.
My friends captured these eclipse photos with their Pixels, and I'm pretty jealous
By Derrek Lee published
April 8 eclipse Capturing eclipse photos is pretty easy if the timing is right and you're using the right equipment. Fortunately, my Pixel-toting friends were able to take some great photos.
How to record the screen on your Samsung Galaxy phone
By Derrek Lee last updated
Record that screen! They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but a video is worth a lot more. This is how to record your screen on your Galaxy smartphone.
Moto G Power 5G 2024 vs. Power 5G 2023: Who's got the power?
By Derrek Lee published
An easy choice Should you save with the discounted Moto G Power 5G 2023 or spring for the newer Moto G Power 5G 2024? We're here to help.
How to use Quick Share on your Android phone
By Namerah Saud Fatmi, Derrek Lee published
Send and receive Quick Share is the best Android feature you aren't using. We'll show you how to get started so you can begin using it like a pro!
How to use Samsung DeX on your Galaxy phone
By Derrek Lee last updated
Go DeX on your phone Samsung Galaxy phones are packed with useful features, and DeX is one of the most underrated ones. Here, we'll show you how to set it up.
Android 15 might finally get me to switch from the Motorola Razr to the Galaxy Z Flip
By Derrek Lee published
Flipping phones A new property in Android 15 aims to make apps more readily available for flip phone cover screens. This could be a huge deal for Samsung.
Moto G Power 5G 2024 review: Two steps forward, one step back
By Derrek Lee published
Better value The new Moto G Power 5G 2024 brings a new design language while offering features well above its price point, like wireless charging.
New Polar Grit X2 Pro smartwatch brings all the right upgrades for outdoor enthusiasts
By Derrek Lee published
Tough and smart Polar launches the new Grit X2 Pro, featuring an upgraded AMOLED display, dual GPS, longer battery life, and much more.
The Galaxy S24 Plus is a hit, and I'm not surprised
By Derrek Lee published
A win for the Plus Early sales growth figures show that the Galaxy S24 Plus has gained in popularity compared to the S23 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review: Striking a balance
By Derrek Lee published
Middle child syndrome The Galaxy S24 Plus is finally coming into its own.
Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: Battle of the camera phones
By Derrek Lee published
The Ultras Now that the Xiaomi 14 Ultra has launched globally, we can pit the phone against Samsung's premium Galaxy S24 Ultra, and the results may surprise you.
The coolest things we saw at MWC 2024
By Derrek Lee, Nicholas Sutrich published
Cool tech things Some things didn't make our Best of MWC 2024 list, but they're cool enough to point out anyway. Here are those products.
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