
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: Are wearables ready to be medical devices yet?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Ask Jerry Have a question about the tech in your life? If so, maybe we can get them answered!

Traveling with your tech
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
The right stuffs Whether you're going on a day trip or traveling, you'll need to take some things along.

The Galaxy S25 Edge is an unsurprising flop, but it needed to be
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill Making something thinner and compromising other features is a bad idea. We all knew that.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 will probably launch without the magnets you wanted. You shouldn't be surprised.
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Case sold separately Samsung likely won't include built-in magnetic charging on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but that's okay.

Wonder what life is like without Google or Apple? You need to try this alternative
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
The real deal Open-source software for your phone has been around for a long time. It's never been done this professionally before and you owe it to yourself to have a look.

Tech Talk: Why are there so many versions of Chrome?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Tech Talk Google has a flavor of Chrome for everyone and everything, it seems. Sorting through it all is easy once you understand why everything is there.

Interactive AI should be more optional. Instead, it's being forced on us
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
My Choice AI has weaseled its way into every facet of a new smartphone. Maybe it should be.

Ask Jerry: Is my smartphone or smart home device listening to everything?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Ask Jerry Have a question about the tech in your life? If so, maybe we can get them answered!

These are the most secure Android phones 2025
By Harish Jonnalagadda, Jerry Hildenbrand last updated
Safe & sound With one of these secure Android phones, you don't have to worry about the safety of your data. These phones have great hardware, cameras, and more.

This is why it's important to charge your phone the right way, especially when you're not home
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Charge the right way The golden rule: One cable for your charger, another for a shared charger.

Repairability is finally going mainstream. Sort of.
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill You can buy repairable headphones to go with your repairable phone now. Awesome.

T-Mobile recording your screen isn't breaking the rules, but it should be
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
You are the product The T-Life app can record your screen by default unless you turn it off. Why is that allowed?

Tech Talk: How does an MVNO work?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Tech Talk An MVNO uses the same network you're used to but usually offers much lower prices. How does that all work?

Android XR will be another DOA Google product
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Android & Chill Remember Google Glass? Or Google Cardboard? Or Google Daydream? Google has no clue how to tap into this market.

Android 16 is just right
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
Just right Android 16 makes changes in a way that feels comfortable. This is what consumers need.

Tech Talk: Can you really build an app or game with an AI chatbot?
By Jerry Hildenbrand published
The easy way AI can do a lot of things, but it struggles with creativity and originality. So do a lot of new apps and games, though...

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.
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