Michael L Hicks
Michael is Android Central's resident expert on wearables and fitness. He's reviewed or tested dozens of smartwatches, fitness bands, VR headsets, smart rings, earbuds, and other wearable tech from brands like Amazfit, Apple, COROS, Fitbit, Garmin, Google, Meta, Polar, Shokz, Suunto, Ultrahuman, Withings, and more. After earning a degree in English and an MA in Publishing & Writing, he started as a tech freelancer in 2015, covering emerging tech news for Techradar and VR films and games for Wareable in off-hours while working full-time at an educational publisher, coding e-books. Eventually he discovered he had more passion for tech writing than publishing and became a full-time freelancer in 2020, writing for Android Central, Windows Central, Digital Trends, and other sites. AC hired him as Senior Editor by the end of 2020 in a "jack-of-all-trades" tech role, but he channeled his passion for running into a set role covering Wearables and VR in 2022. his trademark is to thoroughly test every fitness smartwatch he reviews, checking its steps, heart rate, GPS, and elevation accuracy against other brands so that athletes know whether they can trust that data. In his free time, Michael has run marathons in NYC, SF, DC, Sacramento, and Big Sir.
Latest articles by Michael L Hicks

Garmin Connect Plus in-depth hands-on: Much more than an AI, unfortunately
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday The Garmin Connect Plus AI is a harmless novelty, but there are some vital tools behind the paywall that will upset long-time Garmin fans used to free software.

Samsung's lawsuit against Oura failed. What happens next could reshape the smart ring market
By Michael L Hicks published
Samsung v. Oura A federal judge ruled that Samsung can't prove Oura will sue them, clearing the way for Oura to do just that (barring an appeal).

Forget the Fenix 8 — save hundreds on Garmin watches during Amazon's Big Spring Sale
By Michael L Hicks published
Big Spring Deals From the Vivoactive 5 and Venu 3S for mainstream buyers to the Epix Pro and Fenix 7X Pro for power users, all of our favorite Garmin watches have good deals.

Garmin Connect Plus subscription adds Active Intelligence, new workouts and coaching
By Michael L Hicks published
Another AI Garmin Connect Plus is a new subscription, adding AI insights and premium perks while keeping old features free. Will Garmin users pay for it?

Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: A comprehensive breakdown of the specs, gen-over-gen comparisons, and more
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Galaxy AI watch Watch Ultra aside, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is the best Android watch available. But should you keep your Watch 6, upgrade to the Ultra, or wait for the Watch 8?

Google Pixel Watch 3: Specs, new tricks, and Pixel Watch 2 comparison
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Third time charmer Available in two sizes, the Google Pixel Watch 3 has loads of delectable features to indulge in. Here's all you need to know about it.

Wear OS is still missing a major player, and now's the perfect time for a comeback
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS Weekly It's high time Motorola rejoined the Wear OS fold and revived that classic Moto 360 look instead of sticking to cheap squircle Moto Watches.

Best fitness trackers 2025
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Time to get fit! There are a lot of fitness trackers out there, from regular ol' fitness trackers to full-fledged smartwatches. If you're trying to figure out which one to buy, we're here to help.

Force Apple to make its Watch less exclusive, and the entire smartwatch industry changes
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday As unlikely as it is for Apple to open up messaging to non-Apple Watches, it could reshape the entire wearable market, including Android watches.

Google ignored Android XR at GDC 2025, and indie VR devs are concerned
By Michael L Hicks published
GDC 2025 Google was a huge presence at GDC, pushing Gemini for video games and new mobile gaming tech. The one blatant no-show? Any Android XR discussion.

Quest developers are joining forces to solve the 'VR visibility crisis'
By Michael L Hicks published
GDC 2025 VR devs are seeing their games buried under Gorilla Tag clones. With Meta and Sony not helping, they're finding new ways to make VR profitable again.

Meta's head of Oculus Publishing debunked Quest Store 'theories' and hinted at their Quest 4 audience at GDC
By Michael L Hicks published
GDC 2025 Chris Pruett went on stage at GDC 2025 to counter criticisms that Meta has abandoned devs to focus on Horizon and F2P games — and hint at a Quest 4 demographic.

Google's clinical sleep lead has cool ideas for the future of smartwatch sleep data
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS Weekly Sleep tracking on smartwatches keeps getting more complicated, but Google's sleep lead has even more ambitious dreams of what comes next.

Here's why the Google Pixel 9a ditched the camera bar
By Michael L Hicks published
A new 'personality' Google explained to us why it needed to remove the Pixel series' signature look; it may not be a reason you'd expect.

Google Pixel 9a vs. Pixel 8a: More than a facelift
By Michael L Hicks published
Stepping it up The Google Pixel 9a will wow you with its larger, brighter display and excellent battery life, but 8a owners may not have enough reason to upgrade.

Google Pixel 9a hands-on: Extreme makeover, phone edition
By Michael L Hicks published
Debate time I got up close to Google's new "personality" for the A-series, designed to set it apart from the flagships.

Oura Ring 5: Everything we want to see
By Michael L Hicks published
Smarts & tricks Oura's Ring 4 was a traditional smart ring, but Oura's patents show some incredible ideas that could pay off in the Ring 5.

Samsung Project Moohan: Everything we know about Samsung's Android XR headset
By Michael L Hicks last updated
A new contender Samsung Project Moohan will be the first Android XR headset to make its debut in 2025. Here's everything we know so far.

The Forerunner 975 and 275 will show how much gas Garmin has left in the tank
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday Our two favorite running watches should get new models in the next couple of months, but how many new ideas does Garmin have left?

Best smartwatch with LTE 2025
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Always connected If you depend on your wearable for just about everything, you may benefit from an LTE smartwatch. So, we've rounded up some of the best options.

Wear OS 5: New features, One UI 6 Watch, & eligible watches
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Wear tools We break down every new Wear OS 5 feature, which watches will receive it (and when), what's different with OS 5.1, and everything else you should know!

YouTube Premium: Everything you need to know
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Watch it all YouTube Premium is essentially ad-free YouTube, right? Yes, but there are other benefits to using it.

Best VR headsets 2025
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Extend your reality Whether you have a gaming PC, a PC, or nothing at all, we show you which headset is best, and what you should be putting your money towards for VR.

Wear OS 5.1 represents a new class of slow, substantial Pixel Watch updates
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS Weekly Google used to release Pixel Watch updates without fail, but now it wants to slow the releases down. Here's why that could be a good thing.

Google Pixel Watch 4: Everything we know and want from the Pixel Watch 3 successor
By Michael L Hicks, Namerah Saud Fatmi last updated
Necessary upgrades The Pixel Watch 4 should have a new chipset and a key design change. Here's what else we want fixed based on the Watch 3's shortcomings.
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