Michael L Hicks
Michael is Android Central's resident expert on fitness tech and wearables, with an enthusiast's love of VR tech on the side. After years freelancing for Techradar, Wareable, Windows Central, Digital Trends, and other sites on a variety of tech topics, AC has given him the chance to really dive into the topics he's passionate about. He's also a semi-reformed Apple-to-Android user who loves D&D, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings.
For wearables, Michael has tested dozens of smartwatches from Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Apple, COROS, Polar, Amazfit, and other brands, and will always focus on recommending the best product over the best brand. He's also completed marathons like NYC, SF, Marine Corps, Big Sur, and California International — though he's still trying to break that 4-hour barrier.
Latest articles by Michael L Hicks
Fitbit Charge 6 specs and features: Everything you need to know
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Charge toward fitness Two years after the Charge 5, the Charge 6 mostly keeps the same design but adds new Google apps, a button, and Bluetooth pairing.
This is the one Garmin watch deal I'd buy before Black Friday
By Michael L Hicks published
Deals Most of the latest Garmin watches won't get major Black Friday deals, so there's no need to wait if you're looking for a discount now.
Apple and Samsung lost market share to a phone brand you've never heard of
By Michael L Hicks published
Q3 2023 Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi, and OPPO still claim the top four spots, but Transsion has leaped past Huawei and vivo for the fifth spot in global phone sales.
Fitbit Charge 6 review: Familiar hardware, Googleified
By Michael L Hicks published
A Google/Fitbit chimera Put a Charge 5 and Charge 6 side-by-side, and you couldn't tell them apart. It's all about the Google-branded smarts beneath the surface.
Will wireless Bluetooth headphones work on Quest 3?
By Michael L Hicks published
Latency is a problem Issues with latency and performance mean you shouldn't use Bluetooth headphones wirelessly, but there are alternative methods to consider.
Maybe fitness bands don't need built-in GPS after all
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday The Fitbit Charge 6's GPS issues aren't as bad as I initially feared, but they're enough to make me wonder why Fitbit and Google didn't fix the problem.
VR news of the week: SteamVR 2.0, hidden Quest 3 tricks, and Steph Curry in XR
By Michael L Hicks published
All of the VR, AR, and XR news for the week of October 22nd that we weren't able to fully cover.
This rumored Galaxy Watch 7 upgrade could spell huge gains over the Watch 6
By Michael L Hicks published
3nm or bust A Korean report suggests the switch from a 5nm Exynos W930 to 3nm Exynos W940 could deliver major gains for battery life and performance in a more compact form factor.
How much you should spend on a running watch this Black Friday
By Michael L Hicks published
Don't overspend Just because we love expensive running watches like the Garmin Forerunner 965 doesn't mean every runner *needs* a high-end watch. Plenty of people can make do with the essentials and save hundreds.
Meta’s Q3 earnings prove AI and Reels will profit more than the Quest 3
By Michael L Hicks published
AI and Quest Reality Labs has lost over $11 billion in operating costs this year, and yet Meta is more profitable than ever.
Quest v59 update will combat one of the Quest 3's biggest flaws
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Battery boost The first update since the Quest 3 launched, it adds an extended battery mode to fix its problems with short play sessions, while also adding cool social features.
Meta Quest 3 128GB vs. 512GB: Which storage size do you need?
By Michael L Hicks published
Savings or space? Meta charges an extra $150 for quadruple the storage, but do you need it? We've checked game sizes for the most popular Quest titles to help you decide if it's worth the extra cost.
OnePlus 12 slated to add the 11's biggest missing feature
By Michael L Hicks published
Charging upgrades We gave the OnePlus 11 4.5 stars, but the missing wireless charging was a problem for some buyers. Now, OnePlus is set to rectify this with the model coming out in December.
I'm happy this annoyingly popular watch display tech is dying a slow death
By Michael L Hicks published
RIP to MIP: Why AMOLED is taking over fitness watches
Which Quest 2 games have Quest 3 enhancements?
By Michael L Hicks published
Next-gen upgrades The Quest 3 runs games much better than the Quest 2, but some games take better advantage of the new hardware than others.
Google Wallet catches up to Apple Wallet for digital IDs
By Michael L Hicks published
PreCheck Georgia, Arizona, and Colorado join Maryland as the four states with digital IDs supported by Wallet.
The death of Google's Iris AR glasses may have been exaggerated
By Michael L Hicks published
Not Killed by Google™ Google is developing XR software and its own AR hardware, and now we have code evidence of one smart glasses feature in the Google app.
More rumors point to a premium Galaxy Watch 'Ultra' with a MicroLED display
By Michael L Hicks published
OLED replacement We already know that Samsung Display is working on MicroLED smartwatch displays, but this rumor suggests it may be ready for consumers much sooner than we thought.
Garmin activates its dormant heart health sensor in more smartwatches
By Michael L Hicks published
Heart health The Garmin Venu 3, along with some expensive Garmin flagships, just got a lot better for folks concerned about heart health.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses review: Keep your phone in your pocket
By Michael L Hicks published
Seeing the future Meta's new smart glasses are excellent at what they do. The question is, do the benefits outweigh the problems inherent with smart glasses making you look suspicious by default?
Do Quest 2 Link cables work for the Meta Quest 3?
By Michael L Hicks published
PC VR gaming The Quest 3, like the Quest 2, lets you connect to your PC for higher-graphics experiences, either via a USB-C cable or via a wireless connection.
Meta Quest 3 vs. PSVR 2: Mixed-reality wireless or wired graphical power?
By Michael L Hicks published
Power or portability Both headsets cost about the same but have very different approaches to VR (or MR) innovation.
It's past time for fitness watches to promise proper software updates
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday If Google can promise seven years of updates for the Pixel 8, maybe it can promise *two* years of updates for the Fitbit Charge 6.
Garmin's $3,000 MARQ Carbon watches make the Epix 2 Pro look thrifty
By Michael L Hicks published
Watch or mortgage payment? Most athletes will never afford the MARQ series, but these carbon-fiber watches do look fantastic, and they have the effect of making Garmin's usual $300–$1,000 watches seem reasonable.