Latest articles by Michael L Hicks
Black Friday Fitbit frenzy: Save tons of cash on Charge, Inspire, Sense, Versa, and Pixel watches
Black Friday 2024 Whether you want a tiny inspire 3, feature-packed Charge 6, health-focused Sense 2, or Wear OS-ready Pixel Watch 3, there are some great Black Friday deals for all of them.
Every Android smartwatch has a Black Friday deal; here's how I'd choose as a wearable expert
Wear OS Weekly Rather than choose your next Android watch based on price, I'll run through the pros and cons for each Wear OS brand and generation to help you choose.
Galaxy Watches have never been cheaper, but you may want to skip this Black Friday deal
Black Friday 2024 We've never seen brand-new Galaxy Watches as cheap as $126, but that should tell you something about the Galaxy Watch FE — it's kind of a trap.
The Polar Vantage M3 has premium guts in a mid-range package — with one key flaw
Sunday Runday The new Polar Vantage M3 is an intriguing mid-range running watch; I put its GPS and HR accuracy to the test against Garmin and COROS.
New to Garmin? The $100-off Vivoactive 5 is the perfect starting point
Black Friday 2024 Both the Garmin Vivoactive 5 and Forerunner 165 are $199 for Black Friday; first-time Garmin users, skip the pricey models and start here.
Cyber Monday smartwatch deal hunters should look at smart rings instead
Cyber Monday Cyber Monday smartwatch deals are a dime a dozen. But there are very few reliable smart rings, and deals on them are harder to find.
I don't care much for watch apps, but I'm giving them a second chance
Wear OS Weekly Smartwatch apps don't seem much more useful than smartphone apps, but they can sometimes be more convenient.
This smart ring is basically an April Fool's joke, but is it ahead of the curve?
Why not both? This tiny smartwatch/ smart ring hybrid isn't going to appeal to most people, but there is a definite niche market for smart rings with working displays.
Garmin Fenix 8 review: Frankenstein's watch
Garmin's greatest hits The Garmin Fenix 8 is an all-around monster that steals the best parts from all the other Garmin watches; it's a great device with an insane price.
The Garmin Instinct 3 has leaked; I'm hoping for two major changes
Coming soon? An official Garmin website listing for the Instinct 3 45mm Solar has us wondering whether it'll keep its "unlimited" battery life while making upgrades.
Every feature Wear OS watches should borrow from Garmin
Wear OS Weekly Our staff regularly uses Wear OS watches, but Garmin watches have tricks that tempt us away that Google and Samsung should borrow and make their own.
How to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android
iOS to Android If you're switching from iPhone to Android, transferring your contacts to your new phone is just a backup, an import, and an email away!
I ran a 20-mile race wearing four fitness watches (like an idiot); here's what I learned
Running test I ran a 20-mile race wearing a Garmin, Pixel, Apple, and Coros watch. You might be surprised how similar the results were in some areas — and how different in others.
How to review app permissions on your Android phone
Stay private It's easy to lose track of which apps can access your files, camera, mic, location, contacts, and other private data. But you can double-check and change your app permissions with just a few taps.
The COROS PACE Pro is the new mid-range running watch to beat
Sunday Runday I tested the COROS PACE Pro's HR and GPS accuracy against the most powerful Garmin watch; turns out it's one of the best running watches out there.
Wear OS watches have a real problem with slow updates
Wear OS Weekly This six-week Wear OS 5 delay on last-gen Pixel Watches isn't that long (yet), but Wear OS has a long history of painful waits for new features.
Watching the Warriors in VR was so close to epic
Courtside seats I sat courtside at a Warriors-Rockets game in virtual reality. While it started off exciting, the novelty wore off because of some issues with cameras and UI.
I'm trying not to feel underwhelmed by this $1,100 watch
Mo money mo problems The Garmin Fenix 8 is like an onion: you can keep peeling back layers to find hidden depths, but also some aspects that make it hard to justify the $1,100 price tag.
Absolutely game-changing Google Maps update will cut down on wrong turns
Enhanced navigation I visited the Google Maps Street View garage to learn more about its new enhanced navigation features, which should cut back on your wrong turns in unfamiliar places.
One of the last MIP holdouts released its first AMOLED running watch
Seeing clearly The COROS PACE Pro is the brand's first AMOLED watch, and it's packed with upgrades designed to make it a compelling option for $100 less than the Garmin Forerunner 265.
Future Pixel Watches have three potential hardware paths, but I hope Google doesn't go with the most likely one
RISC factor Arm, RISC-V, or Oryon. Google has a few options to consider when developing future Pixel Watch models.
Meta's leaked 'Avalanche' could bring back Oculus Rift games, but I want more
Good old days of VR A long-rumored cloud gaming app was briefly leaked on the Quest Store. We suspect it'll arrive on Quest 3 soon, but used in a safe way — and we'd love to see something more ambitious.
Best smartwatches for students 2025
Student-friendly Need a portable calendar, workout tracker for your club, or a way to stay atop messages without disrupting class? These smartwatches may help you.
