Derrek Lee
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
Honor 200 Pro vs. Google Pixel 8 Pro: A portrait of two phones
By Derrek Lee published
Portraits The Honor 200 Pro brings specs that would make many flagships quiver, but does the Pixel 8 Pro have anything to worry about?
Motorola Razr Plus 2023: How it started and how it's going
By Derrek Lee published
How it's going It's been about a year since the Motorola Razr Plus 2023 launched. Now that the 2024 model is on the way, we take a look at its predecessor to see how it has fared.
YouTube Music: Everything you need to know
By Derrek Lee last updated
YouTube Music YouTube Music is one of the best music streaming services, but is it the best? We'll help you decide and give you all the latest on prices, updates, and tips for improving recommendations.
The affordable Galaxy Watch FE might be what Wear OS really needs
By Derrek Lee published
More of this The Galaxy Watch FE may be a Watch 4 reboot, but it's a good alternative to the expensive Wear OS watches we've been getting.
Dave Burke steps down as Android engineering VP
By Derrek Lee published
It's not really good-bye Dave Burke announces that he's stepping down as the VP of Android Engineering as he looks into "AI/bio projects."
Honor 200 Pro review: The only portrait camera you need
By Derrek Lee published
Portrait Mode The Honor 200 Pro makes its way to Europe with a Harcourt-inspired camera that takes portrait photos to the next level. But does the rest of the phone live up to expectations?
Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 vs. Stylus 5G 2023: A bigger upgrade than you think
By Derrek Lee published
A real upgrade The Moto G Stylus 5G 2023 was a great phone when it launched, but the newer Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 really steps things up with some notable upgrades.
Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 review: This $400 phone wants to be a flagship
By Derrek Lee published
Hello again, Moto The Moto G Stylus 5G 2024 is easily one of the best phones at this price point, thanks to the new OLED display, improved cameras, and flagship-level performance. This is almost a perfect $400 phone.
The Motorola Razr is doubling down on big cover screens, according to new leaks
By Derrek Lee published
Go big or go home According to the latest leaks, the upcoming Razr phones will both have larger cover screens and nearly identical designs.
I took photos of the northern lights with my Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 Plus — the results were very different
By Derrek Lee published
Northern lights An intense solar storm caused a brilliant showing of the northern lights across the northern hemisphere. I compared a Pixel and Galaxy phone to see how they would capture the event.
The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 might look the same, but this new leak gets me excited
By Derrek Lee published
The same but better The Motorola Razr Plus 2024 (aka the Razr 50 Ultra) has just been leaked again, with a retailer listing revealing the configuration and pricing.
Google I/O 2024: How to watch and what to expect
By Derrek Lee published
I/O Google I/O 2024 is around the corner, and we expect plenty of new software, lots of AI, and maybe even some hardware announcements.
Nubia Flip 5G vs. Motorola Razr 2023: Flip phones on a budget
By Derrek Lee published
Flippable The Nubia Flip 5G brings another flip phone option to the market, and one that doesn't break the bank. However, the Razr 2023 is a strong contender with the price cut.
Nubia Flip 5G review: The phone I wish Samsung would make
By Derrek Lee published
Fold for less The Nubia Flip 5G proves that affordable flip phones are possible, but only thanks to a few compromises.
Qualcomm earnings point to recovery in smartphone market
By Derrek Lee published
Bets on AI Qualcomm posted its FY Q2 earnings, which were better than expected after a slump in sales the previous year.
Amazon earnings boosted by AI, ads, and cost-cutting
By Derrek Lee published
Amazon earnings Amazon's Q1 2024 revenue increased by 13% year over year, thanks to an increase in AI investments and companies looking to AWS to power their services.
News Weekly: Wear OS 5 is coming, TikTok's days are numbered, Meta's big AI upgrade
By Derrek Lee published
News Weekly This week's headlines included a look at what to expect at Google I/O regarding Wear OS, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses getting even smarter, and the U.S. signing the new TikTok ban into law.
Matter: Everything you need to know
By Derrek Lee last updated
Smart home matters Matter is the new smart home alliance between Google, Amazon, Apple, and hundreds of other companies. Here's how it works, what you can do, and which products support it.
Alphabet earnings impress as the AI race heats up
By Derrek Lee published
AI-phabet Alphabet announces its Q1 2024 financial earnings, reporting a 15% increase year-over-year on strong performance from Search, YouTube, and Cloud.
Reddit back online after brief outage
By Derrek Lee published
Offline Reddit suffered through an outage, resulting in error messages and pages unable to load.
Meta Q1 2024 earnings highlight AI focus amid strong Quest sales
By Derrek Lee published
VR+AR+AI Meta released its Q1 2024 earnings on Wednesday, beating revenue expectations with increased ad spend and strong Quest sales.
TikTok's days are literally numbered in the US as bill to ban app is signed into law
By Derrek Lee published
Tick... tock... The U.S. government has signed a new bill into law that could lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok. The company has less than a year to divest the app and find a potential buyer.
Minor Android 15 beta update for Pixels fixes a big problem
By Derrek Lee published
Tap to pay The Android 15 Beta 1.1 patch has addressed a bug from the previous build that broke NFC.
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