Michael L Hicks
Michael is Android Central's resident expert on wearables and fitness. He's reviewed or tested dozens of smartwatches, fitness bands, VR headsets, smart rings, earbuds, and other wearable tech from brands like Amazfit, Apple, COROS, Fitbit, Garmin, Google, Meta, Polar, Shokz, Suunto, Ultrahuman, Withings, and more. After earning a degree in English and an MA in Publishing & Writing, he started as a tech freelancer in 2015, covering emerging tech news for Techradar and VR films and games for Wareable in off-hours while working full-time at an educational publisher, coding e-books. Eventually he discovered he had more passion for tech writing than publishing and became a full-time freelancer in 2020, writing for Android Central, Windows Central, Digital Trends, and other sites. AC hired him as Senior Editor by the end of 2020 in a "jack-of-all-trades" tech role, but he channeled his passion for running into a set role covering Wearables and VR in 2022. his trademark is to thoroughly test every fitness smartwatch he reviews, checking its steps, heart rate, GPS, and elevation accuracy against other brands so that athletes know whether they can trust that data. In his free time, Michael has run marathons in NYC, SF, DC, Sacramento, and Big Sir.
Latest articles by Michael L Hicks
Snapdragon 8 Elite offers a dramatic power boost for 2025 flagship Android phones
By Michael L Hicks published
Flagship power Qualcomm's new 3nm chip offers "Elite" performance growth over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Only one smart ring's workout HR is reliable — and probably not the one you'd expect
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday After the Oura Ring 4 launched with a major fitness focus, we decided to test it and other smart rings to determine how well they do for heart rate accuracy. Here's what we discovered.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7: Specs, differences from Ultra & Watch 6, and more
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Galaxy AI watch The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 beats the Watch 6 for key specs and holds its own surprisingly well against the Galaxy Watch Ultra.
New Kindle Scribe fixes my biggest complaint with the last one
By Michael L Hicks published
Scribbling time Amazon's engineers acknowledged that the whole point of a Kindle Scribe should be to write all over ebooks via Active Canvas.
Wear OS 5 blocks one of the best watch apps and it's high time Google fixes things
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS Weekly Watch Face Format helps the Galaxy Watch 7 and Pixel Watch 3 last longer, but it also makes Facer obsolete and their watch faces distressingly basic.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Upgrades, new Fitbit perks, and differences from the Pixel Watch 2
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Third time's the charm? The Google Pixel Watch 3 comes in two sizes and is full to the brim with cool new AI features, handy apps, and more. Here's everything you need to know about it!
Comcast's network suffers short-lived but major outage in pockets across the United States
By Michael L Hicks published
Internet woes The Xfinity internet service by Comcast is currently experiencing a major outage. Here's what we know about where it is and when it'll end.
Which finger should you wear the Oura Ring 4 on?
By Michael L Hicks published
Find your perfect fit Finding the right Oura Ring 4 finger can be tricky. Oura claims it "works on all fingers" and "on either hand," but some fingers are better than others.
Best Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 games 2024
By Michael L Hicks, Nicholas Sutrich published
Immerse yourself We've selected the best Oculus Quest, Meta Quest 2, and Meta Quest 3 games in every category: shooters, rhythm, exercise, puzzle, action, horror, and more!
Garmin could beat Apple and Samsung to the MicroLED watch finish line with its leaked 'prototype'
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Leaks about a "Garmin fenix 8 MicroLED" suggest Garmin wants to put this expensive, tricky tech in a watch before anyone else.
Best fitness watch 2024
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Time to get fit There are fitness bands — and then there are smartwatches. But some smartwatches can pull double duty in the fitness space too. These are the best ones.
Last-minute Garmin Prime Day deals — save hundreds on Venu, Epix, Fenix and Forerunner before they run out
By Michael L Hicks last updated
The deals await Garmin is one of our favorite brands for fitness-based wearables, so we decided it would only be right to create a list of all the best Garmin discounts, just in time for Amazon Big Deal Days.
My fiancée stole my Kindle Scribe, so I'm buying one during Prime Day for 25% off
By Michael L Hicks published
My favorite Kindle If you don't have a partner to rob for their massive Kindle Scribe, Prime Day 2024 is selling them for $85 off.
Garmin dilemma: Buy the Epix Gen 2 for an all-time low $500 off or shell out for the Fenix 8?
By Michael L Hicks published
An Epic(x) deal The Garmin Epix Gen 2 has plummeted to $399, its lowest price ever, as Garmin clears out stock to focus on the Fenix 8.
Best tablet for students 2024
By Andrew Myrick, Michael L Hicks last updated
Education tools Getting the school year started can be a little intimidating, but the best tablets for students can help ease this process more successfully.
Best smartwatch with LTE 2024
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Cellular on your wrist If you depend on your wearable for just about everything, you may benefit from an LTE smartwatch. So, we've rounded up some of the best options.
MediaTek announces Dimensity 9400 flagship, an 'enabler of AI' with a 35% power boost
By Michael L Hicks published
Flagship power The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 has a new Cortex-X925 main core clocked at 3.62GHz, ready to handle 2025 flagship phones.
This Quest 3 128GB deal is sold out almost everywhere — but I've found the remaining few
By Michael L Hicks published
Going, going, gone! Why buy the Meta Quest 3S when you can snag the Quest 3 and all its upgrades for $70 off — before it's gone for good?
I review smartwatches across every brand — these are the 5 Prime Day watch deals I'd personally buy
By Michael L Hicks published
Save time & money Prime Day 2024 has some excellent smartwatch deals...and some I'd skip and wait for a better one on Black Friday. These are the watches I've tested and would recommend NOW.
Not a typo — score 21% OFF the best Android watch of the year during October Prime Day!
By Michael L Hicks published
Best watch, best deal The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 44mm is $69 off (...nice) for Amazon Prime Day 2024, less than two months from its launch.
All-time low! Our fave Pixel Watch 2 drops to $170.99, half the price of a Watch 3
By Michael L Hicks published
Prime Day The Pixel Watch 2 is over $75 off for Amazon Prime Big Deal Days — don't wait!
Forget the Watch 7, last year's Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 has crashed to its lowest price EVER for Prime Day
By Michael L Hicks published
All-time low The Galaxy Watch 6 falls short of the Galaxy Watch 7 in a few key areas, but if you're looking for the better Prime Day 2024 deal, the Watch 6 (46% off) offers better value than the Watch 7.
I like rucking, but be careful before you go all-in on this popular workout fad
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday Before you spend upwards of $500 on a Goruck rucksack, weighted plates, hiking boots, and other tech, make sure you know what you're getting into.
Be an expert in 5 minutes
Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android