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
Is the Google Pixel Watch 3 waterproof?
By Michael L Hicks published
Swimming-ready We break down every watery activity you can or can't safely use the Google Pixel Watch 3 with.
Batman: Arkham Shadow first gameplay trailer pays tribute to Asylum fans
By Michael L Hicks published
You are the Dark Knight Batman: Arkham Shadow lets you experience combat, Predator mode, and detective work in a whole new light — if you have a Meta Quest 3.
The Pixel Watch 3 should have runners both excited and depressed
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday A Fitbit interview during Made by Google makes it clear that the Fitbit brand is better — and less accessible — than ever.
Best Samsung tablet 2024
By Michael L Hicks, Samuel Contreras last updated
Options galore Samsung makes the best Android tablets, and these models are the best of the best.
Google Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2: Subtle fixes, a new size, and a ton of similarities
By Michael L Hicks published
What's new? Aside from the new display size, the Pixel Watch 3 vs. Pixel Watch 2 comparison has more in common than it has differences.
Made by Google event 2024 live blog: Every major announcement, from Pixel 9 Pro Fold to Pixel Watch 3
By Michael L Hicks last updated
LIVE NEWS Follow along with the Android Central staff as we cover the biggest Google product launch of the year! Here’s everything you need to know from the Pixel fall event 2024.
Fitbit Charge 6 vs. Charge 5: Should you upgrade?
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Fitbit standoff The Charge 6 offers a few key upgrades over the Charge 5, but if they're enough for you will depend on whether or not you liked the last-gen fitness tracker — because they're basically twins.
Smart rings are shockingly good at step counting, with one critical flaw
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday Our favorite smart rings are near-perfect at step counts when you're walking. When you're sitting still, they're much iffier.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 vs. Galaxy Watch 6: Mostly unchanged, with nine key differences
By Michael L Hicks published
Annual upgrade Key Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 vs. 6 upgrades make it clear who should upgrade and who should stick with their 2023 watch.
Garmin watch faces and apps are about to get more fun — and more expensive
By Michael L Hicks published
Goin' mainstream Garmin announced new watch faces from Disney, GoPro, Porsche, NASA, and others in the Connect IQ app, with a recommended $4.99 price tag.
How to find your lost Samsung Galaxy Ring
By Michael L Hicks published
Track it down You need to set up the Galaxy Ring's "find my ring" features before you lose it, and most won't work on non-Samsung phones.
Racing Olympians at home is hilariously impossible. Everyone should try it at least once
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday You know objectively how fast the Olympic track and field athletes are, but you won't *really* understand until you hit the track yourself.
The SF Half Marathon controversy is exactly why a good running watch matters
By Michael L Hicks published
SF City Half marathoners only ran 12.6 miles, but two dual-band GPS watches warned me that my SF Bridge Half Marathon was short, too.
Meta Q2 2024 earnings call highlights AI successes and a $50 billion problem
By Michael L Hicks published
AI + VR investments Here's everything we learned about Meta's AI plans, its Reality Labs losses, and more.
OnePlus Watch 2R review: Budget substance over style
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS for less The OnePlus Watch 2R keeps the powerful guts of the Watch 2 while trimming the steel style, making it plainer but more comfortable.
How to use the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Quick Button
By Michael L Hicks published
Simple shortcut The Galaxy Watch Ultra's Quick Button is (unfortunately) pretty limited in what it can do, but it does have a few customizable shortcuts you can set up in the settings. Here's how.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra vs. Watch 5 Pro: Should you upgrade?
By Michael L Hicks published
Two battery behemoths Samsung gave the Watch Ultra and 5 Pro the same battery capacity, but they're very different in many other respects like performance, display, and sensors.
The OnePlus Watch 2R blew my low fitness expectations out of the water
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday Both of our OnePlus Watch 2 reviewers had problems with its fitness data; so far, the Watch 2R doesn't have those same issues.
Is anyone else sick of this unreliable Google Maps tool?
By Michael L Hicks published
Faster route my a** If Google Maps' "faster route available" feature has ever led you astray and caused more problems that it has solved, then you're in good company.
Who needs the Galaxy Ring with all these epic Prime Day smart ring deals?
By Michael L Hicks published
Prime Day 2024 The Galaxy Ring doesn't have any proper pre-order deals, so look at these Prime Day smart ring deals from Oura, RingConn, Ultrahuman, and Amazfit instead.
Garmin Prime Day deals are selling out faster than Prime Day ends — only five left are worth buying
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Prime Day 2024 As always, Prime Day is a great time to save hundreds on expensive Garmin watches. I'll run through the ones to pay attention to.
The only earbuds I trust for running safely are $55 OFF for Prime Day
By Michael L Hicks published
Save money (and yourself) Two open-ear earbuds for those who dislike bone conduction are pretty darn cheap for Prime Day.
One of my favorite Android watches just dipped to its lowest price EVER during Prime Day
By Michael L Hicks published
Prime Day 2024 The Google Pixel Watch 2 rarely falls below its full price; now you can get one for the same price as the original Pixel Watch: $80 off!
Ultrahuman challenges Oura and Galaxy Ring with a whole app store of new data, including AFib
By Michael L Hicks published
Smart rings Ultrahuman plans to add "thousands" of customized plug-ins to its Ring Air smart ring, so that you can choose which data to see and focus on for your heath journey.
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