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

Tom's Guide just got a massive upgrade, and it's making it easy to find the tech you're looking for
By Derrek Lee published
New look, who dis Tom's Guide is relaunching its website with a redesigned homepage, new search features, and community tools to help readers find the products they're looking for with expert advice.

I use these two Android features to trick my international friends into thinking I'm fluent in their languages
By Derrek Lee published
Editor's Desk Google offers two useful translation features that streamline communication when you don't speak the same language.

We asked, you answered: Android users pick between gestures and 3-button navigation, and the top choice might surprise you
By Derrek Lee published
AC Polls In a recent poll, we asked Android users if they prefer gesture navigation or 3-button navigation. The results are in, and there's a very clear winner.

Just got a new Galaxy S26? Here are the first 6 things you should do with it
By Derrek Lee published
How To With the Galaxy S26 out, here are some tips and tricks to help you get started with Samsung's latest smartphone.

Motorola heard my plea, and the new Moto G Stylus 2026 might be the affordable Galaxy S26 Ultra we've been waiting for
By Derrek Lee published
Moto G Stylus 26 Ultra Motorola launches the Moto G Stylus 2026, which features an upgraded active stylus pen, a larger battery, a brighter display, and enticing launch bundles.

Motorola and T-Mobile are bringing a new 5G tablet to the US, and it looks like it'll be easy on my wallet
By Derrek Lee published
Tablet to-go Motorola's new tablet, the Moto Pad 2026, brings an affordable 5G option to T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers.

My 5 biggest takeaways after using the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 for a year
By Derrek Lee published
Editor's Desk It's been nearly a year since the launch of the Razr Ultra 2025, so I'm taking a look back at my experience with the phone and my biggest takeaways from the last 12 months.

Someone got a hold of the LG Rollable to show us all how it works, and it makes me wish LG were still around. But would you buy it?
By Derrek Lee published
AC Polls Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything got his hands on an LG Rollable and took it apart to reveal its inner workings.

Act now! There's still time to save on the Pixel Watch 4
By Derrek Lee published
Always on This Pixel Watch 4 deal slashes $60 off the price of an LTE model, but this deal is only available for the smaller 41mm variant.

The Galaxy S26 Plus is a good phone with a major problem that Samsung needs to figure out
By Derrek Lee published
Middle child syndrome Our full review of the Galaxy S26 Plus highlights its many strengths while addressing the elephant in the room.

When it comes to your smartphone, do you use protection or are you living on the edge?
By Derrek Lee published
AC Polls In our latest poll, we want to know if you use a case and/or screen protector to protect your smartphone.

This is absolutely the one smartphone I would buy right now during Amazon's Big Spring Sale
By Derrek Lee published
Flip it around The Razr Ultra 2025 is available for $799 during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, a $500 discount from the phone's original launch price.

Galaxy S26 who? The Pixel 10 is back down to one of its lowest prices since launch
By Derrek Lee published
Pixel perfect The Pixel 10 is on sale during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, taking it down to one of its lowest prices since launch.

Did you know that this Galaxy S26 Plus deal can basically score $100 worth of free accessories?
By Derrek Lee published
Free stuff The Galaxy S26 Plus doesn't cost any less, but this Big Spring Sale deal will get you a free $100 gift card, which you can use towards accessories.

Tecno taps OpenClaw to supercharge its Ella AI assistant with new automation features
By Derrek Lee published
Ella evolution Tecno is integrating OpenClaw into its Ella AI assistant, bringing new automation capabilities such as message prioritization and summarization, multi-app integration, and more.

The Galaxy S26 is still missing my favorite Gemini trigger, so I used this Samsung hack to bring it back
By Derrek Lee published
How To This Samsung hack will help you recover a lost trigger for your favorite AI assistant, but be ready to do a bit of work.

Does anyone even use 3-button navigation anymore?
By Derrek Lee published
AC Polls Android offers a choice between 3-button navigation and gesture navigation. In our latest poll, we want to know which one you prefer.

The more I use the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra, the more it feels like an affordable Galaxy S26 Ultra
By Derrek Lee published
Galaxy S26 Ultra for less Tenco's latest Camon 50 Ultra focuses on performance and AI, offering tons of features and a solid software experience for less than a typical flagship.

Now that the Galaxy S26 series has landed, what's your favorite new feature?
By Derrek Lee published
AC Polls In our latest poll, we want to know what Galaxy S26 feature you're most impressed with, from Privacy Display to Gemini screen automation.

This game-changing Galaxy S26 feature just transformed my Netflix binge sessions
By Derrek Lee published
How To Samsung's Audio Eraser has been upgraded to support third-party apps, lowering background noise and ensuring voices are clear.

5 reasons to buy a Galaxy S26 and 3 reasons not to buy one
By Derrek Lee published
How To We break down the pros and cons of Samsung's Galaxy S26 series to help you decide if you should buy one.

Daylight saving time: Will your phone automatically adjust for the time change?
By Derrek Lee last updated
Time after time Do I need to do anything to my Android phone to make sure it's ready for the daylight saving time change? Probably not, but here are a few tips just in case.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 series is here, so which device are you interested in buying?
By Derrek Lee published
AC Polls In our latest poll, we want to know if you plan to buy a Galaxy S26 model and which one you are buying.
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