
Jerry Hildenbrand
Jerry has been a smartphone user since the BlackBerry days, having moved through the tech’s progression from Palm to Nokia to Apple and Android. He even waited in line at a Washington, DC T-Mobile store to buy the first Android phone. Combined with an Electrical Engineering degree and years of experience working with machine vision and learning equipment all over the world he has a passion for knowing how tech products work and what matters to the people buying them. He’s been in this industry longer than most of the companies we cover. With 15 years of experience writing about tech he has seen how smart devices have morphed from a luxury to a necessity and offers a unique perspective on both the good and bad consequences of it all. Currently covering the broader ecosystems of hardware and software products, his industry contacts and experience help break down the decisions tech giants make and the products they offer into the most important thing: how this affects us, the consumers and end-users of the products and services. With no affinity to one company Jerry can help you find the tech that’s right for you and help you understand what it can do for you. When things go south, he can also help you fix it or point you in the right direction for help. In his personal life Jerry loves to tinker in his workshop and work on his antique truck.
Latest articles by Jerry Hildenbrand

Ask Jerry: Will foldable phones ever be durable?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Ask Jerry Have a question about the tech in your life? If so, maybe we can get them answered!

How (and when) to clear app cache or data on Android
By Jerry Hildenbrand last updated
Fresh start Apps sometimes can misbehave. If it happens to you, here's something to try.

Android 16 is Google getting serious about foldables
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill Foldables could be the future of mobile computing. Google is getting ready for it.

Tech Talk: More than you ever wanted to know about malware
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Tech Talk You hear a lot of talk about malware finding its way onto your phone. What is it, how do you get it, and most importantly, how do you prevent it?

Ask Jerry: Why don't all phones come to all places?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Ask Jerry Have a question about the tech in your life? If so, maybe we can get them answered!

You don't need to care about 16 KB memory pages, but it's still an important change. Here's why
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Enough for everyone A technical requirement for the platform's "future direction" will have little effect on what you do every day.

Why are we obsessed with charging speeds?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill If we're really lucky, we might get a phone battery that charges more quickly. Otherwise, I think we're stuck with the batteries we have now. They're probably the best we'll get for a long time.

Don't ruin your Galaxy phone with a half-baked beta update
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Not yet When One UI 8 is good enough and ready, Samsung will give it to everyone. For now, let someone else be the guinea pig.

Now is a great time to buy a phone you can fix yourself — The HMD Skyline is at Amazon, and it's 30% off the regular price
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
The best spec If you care about repairability HMD has a phone for you. If you care about saving money, this deal is for you.

Tech Talk: Your choice of a 'Digital wallet' just got a lot more important
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Trust but verify A new Android feature gives your digital identification a real home. Make sure it's the right choice.

Ask Jerry: Can Auracast help me?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Ask Jerry Have a question about the tech in your life? If so, maybe we can get them answered!

How to make the most sense out of Google I/O
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill What you really want to know is only a tiny fraction of what I/O is all about.

I'm done buying Google Nest products
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Dumb Home Dropping support for older products is fine. Not having a legacy option to keep using them isn't.

Tech Talk: What is 5G Advanced and what does it mean for my next phone?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
5.5G 5G Advanced is also known as 5.5G and is the next generation of wireless connection. It's important, but doesn't bring a lot to the table for consumer products.

The Motorola Razr and Perplexity are trying to change how you use your phone
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Who's really in charge? Perplexity has deep hooks in the 2025 Razr. Too deep, maybe.

Ask Jerry: How can I securely wipe a phone?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Ask Jerry Have a question about the tech in your life? If so, maybe we can get them answered!

Yahoo buying Chrome isn't as crazy as it sounds
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill Yahoo knows what it should have 20 years ago: it needs a browser

The 2025 Razr makes me like last year's model even more
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
No big changes There are a few differences but this is no real upgrade.

Tech Talk: What you need to know about crossing the US border with your phone
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Tech Talk Breaking tech down to its simple parts so we can all understand it a little better

Fairphone is doing its part to make the world a better place. Is it enough?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Change for the better It's easier for a small company to do the right thing. We need to see the same from the tech giants.

Ask Jerry: What do I need to know about buying a used phone?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Ask Jerry Have a question about the tech in your life? If so, maybe we can get them answered!

I haven't switched phones for almost a year and I love it
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill Setting up a new phone is fun for some people, but I hate it. I love not having to do it.

Outdated network tech in Chinese state-owned telecom providers are claimed to be putting global data at risk
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Somebody's watching The report says unencrypted mobile interconnect providers in China are said to be putting everyone's data at risk.
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