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

Android smartwatches should soon get better charging options
By Michael L Hicks published
Save your battery An APK teardown of the Pixel Watch system app shows plans for adaptive charging.

Huawei follows Apple, Samsung with intriguing fingerprint smartwatch idea
By Michael L Hicks published
Patently interesting Samsung and Apple patented plans for a smartwatch fingerprint sensor years ago, but never used one. Now Huawei has its own plans.

Shokz OpenFit 2 review: Wow, do I love these
By Michael L Hicks published
Shokzingly good The first Shokz OpenFit were on the right track, but the OpenFit 2 are almost perfect for runners — and fun to wear outside of workouts, too.

Zuckerberg wants 'billions of AI glasses' to overtake phones; is it possible?
By Michael L Hicks published
Another 'Metaverse'? Zuckerberg suggested we'll see "billions of AI glasses" by the next decade during a recent Meta earnings call. That's a tough hill to climb.

These Samsung Galaxy Tab models support the S Pen
By Michael L Hicks, Andrew Myrick last updated
Putting pen to screen Which Galaxy Tab S, A, FE, and Active tablets work with Samsung's best stylus?

Garmin has pushed a blue triangle fix for its watches; here's what you should know
By Nandika Ravi, Michael L Hicks last updated
Garmin crashing? Garmin watches crashed when you started an activity due to issues with the satellite packet. Here's what to try if your watch is showing a blue triangle.

Android smartwatches have a design problem. Hybrids could be the answer.
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS Weekly Samsung and Google should try their hand at hybrid watches and fill the void left behind by Fossil. Gemini AI will be the key.

This Xiaomi-PlayStation fitness tracker is a gimmick. I want more like it.
By Michael L Hicks published
Brand synergy Probably no one in the U.S. will ever get this PlayStation-branded Xiaomi tracker, but I want more limited-edition bands like this.

Hell yeah, they're bringing Pebble watches back
By Michael L Hicks published
Blast from the past The original Pebble founder and a small team are making a "new Pebble-like smartwatch that runs open source PebbleOS."

COROS PACE Pro review: AMOLED is just the start
By Michael L Hicks published
Sprint to get one After months testing the COROS PACE Pro, I'm comfortable calling this one of the best running watches if you're serious about hitting PRs.

Best Apple Watch alternatives 2025
By Michael L Hicks last updated
A new start Whether you're switching from iPhone to Android but want a comparable experience to Apple Watch, or if you own an iPhone but want something new, we're here to help you choose!

Best Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 games
By Michael L Hicks, Nicholas Sutrich last updated
Immerse yourself We've selected the best Oculus Quest, Meta Quest 2, and Meta Quest 3 games in every category: shooters, rhythm, exercise, puzzle, action, horror, and more!

I'm more excited about Samsung's vague AI health plans than the Galaxy S25
By Michael L Hicks published
Unpacked 2025 Samsung hinted at new 2025 features for Samsung Health, from "vascular load" to AI coaching, and it has me intrigued.

Google just turned the Galaxy Watch 7 into a brand new watch
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS for kids Google has brought Family Link to Galaxy Watches, enabling you to monitor your kid's location, communication, and health.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Everything we want from the next flagship watch
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Beyond Ultra The Galaxy Watch Ultra has some epic upgrades, but it also has some weird design choices. Maybe the Ultra 2 will fix them.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8: Leaks and our wishlist for Galaxy Watch 7 upgrades
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Looking ahead The Galaxy Watch 8 could get all the leaked features that didn't make it into the Watch 7, including that rumored squircle redesign.

Samsung Galaxy Ring 2: Rumors and everything we want to see
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Getting smarter Samsung could show off the Galaxy Ring 2 at Galaxy Unpacked. Here's everything we know, and what we want Samsung to fix with this generation.

I held a smartwatch 'beauty pageant.' The winners and losers will surprise you
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday I asked 21 family members across generations to rank 13 smartwatches based solely on their looks, from Apple and Samsung to Google and Garmin.

We saw three potential futures for smart rings at CES
By Michael L Hicks published
CES 2025 From medical B2B sales to jewelry stores, smart rings may find new avenues to attracting consumer interest beyond the niche tech sphere.

Withings ScanWatch 2 review: A good-looking 'smartwatch' and not much else
By Derrek Lee, Michael L Hicks published
Hybrid imbalance This attractive hybrid smartwatch offers reliable health data and decent sleep and fitness tools, along with notifications and excellent battery life.

Best smart thermostats that don't require a C wire 2025
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Smart sensing Not in the mood to rewire your home for a smart thermostat? These are the best options that don't need a C wire.

Is your smartwatch band secretly toxic? I asked Apple, Samsung, & Google
By Michael L Hicks published
Toss or keep? A scientific study said fluoroelastomer smartwatch straps "across numerous brands" have unhealthy PFAS compounds. Apple and Google say not to worry.

Android XR needs to copy Android smartwatches to survive
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS Weekly Google has a long history of (abandoned) VR & AR projects. If Android XR is to succeed, it'll depend on Samsung, the savior of Google's wearable plans.
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