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
Future Games Show 2024 will be hosted by Baldur's Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI stars
By Michael L Hicks published
March 21 Get ready for over 40 new game announcements on March 21, hosted by Samantha Béart (Karlach) and Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield) at Future Games Show 2024.
Take two: Meta and LG will team up for Quest Pro 2 'alliance' in 2025
By Michael L Hicks published
Challenging the Vision Pro After the failure of the Quest Pro to resonate with productivity users, Meta is teaming up with LG to try and go back to that form factor now that the Apple Vision Pro is making a splash.
OnePlus Watch 2 vs. Google Pixel Watch 2: A new Android watch rivalry
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS battle The OnePlus Watch 2 vs. Pixel Watch 2 is the latest Wear OS battle with no clear winner, as OnePlus dominates for battery life but Google offers better health and fitness tools.
OnePlus Watch 2 vs. OnePlus Watch: A massive improvement
By Michael L Hicks published
Major upgrade By nearly every metric, the OnePlus Watch 2 is a major upgrade over the original, mediocre OnePlus Watch. They look very similar, but there's a lot changed underneath the surface.
Google's new 'hybrid' Wear OS will enhance other watches besides the OnePlus Watch 2
By Michael L Hicks published
Wear OS 4, enhanced Alongside the announcement of the OnePlus Watch 2 launch, Google revealed the new version of Wear OS 4 designed to work with dual-chipset architecture that helps both chips "work better in tandem."
Garmin Instinct vs. Instinct 2: Should you upgrade?
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Built for battle The Garmin Instinct 2 is a fantastic rugged smartwatch with durable battery life. But if you own the Garmin Instinct, should you upgrade? We'll help you decide.
The Galaxy Ring's best chance of success is to steal the Apple Ring's customers
By Michael L Hicks published
Turning the tables Apple will have a much harder time making its Apple Ring as essential as its Apple Watch, leaving a gap for Samsung to strike.
How to set up and use the Now Playing feature on a Google Pixel phone
By Derrek Lee, Michael L Hicks last updated
Now Playing With the Now Playing feature on Pixel phones, you can easily find the music that was playing while you were out and about. Here's what else this helpful feature can do!
The Galaxy Fit 3 isn't coming to the US, and here's why
By Michael L Hicks published
Fitness band famine We asked both Samsung and industry analysts why the Fit 3 won't come to the United States. Here's what they said.
Happy birthday to the PSVR 2, which has utterly failed to live up to its potential
By Michael L Hicks published
Happy birthday? The PSVR 2 is a very good device, but it's overshadowed by the wireless Quest 3 and a lack of well-known IPs compared to the original PSVR.
Strava is adding dog step counts and fitness rankings to its app
By Michael L Hicks published
Doggo fitness Strava is partnering with Fi dog collars to gamify your dog walks, showing whether you're giving your best friend enough exercise.
Zuckerberg says brain signal-reading wearable is 'kind of close' to product-ready
By Michael L Hicks published
Mental controls Appearing on a podcast, Zuckerberg talked about his Vision Pro roast and described how his new neural band will exhibit the "power of AI" when it launches in a "few years."
How the new Garmin Forerunner 165 compares to the Forerunner 55 and 265
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Running watches We break down all the ways the Forerunner 165 beats the 55 in features — and how it falls short of the Forerunner 265.
Best Oculus Quest 3 SteamVR Games to Play with Oculus Link 2024
By Michael L Hicks, Nick Ransbottom published
Quest 3 PC VR Expand your Quest 3 library beyond the Meta store.
These are the most important features hikers need on their smartwatch
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday Hikers need a watch that ensures you'll never get lost, or you can call for help if you do. These are my favorite brands and the things they do better than their rivals.
Apple just patented a sweaty trick every fitness watch could benefit from
By Michael L Hicks published
Useful sweat Apple's patent shows plans for a sensor that would detect "average sweat rate or total fluid loss" over the course of a workout, integrated into the Apple Watch.
Google's pre-Pixel Fold 'Jumbojack' prototype just popped up for sale
By Michael L Hicks published
Blast from the past In the early days of Pixel Fold rumors, we heard about two Google prototypes: "Passport" and "Jumbojack." This week, someone with access to a Jumbojack foldable but the device up for sale.
Apple Vision Pro vs. Meta Quest 3: Not as one-sided as you might think
By Michael L Hicks last updated
Versus Apple and Meta are the two major players in mixed reality, and both are selling "competing" products within the next year — though at completely opposite price points.
Zuckerberg: Quest 3 is a 'better product, period' than Vision Pro, hints at where Quest 4 will go
By Michael L Hicks published
VR console wars His Instagram pseudo-review attacked the Vision Pro's apparent flaws like weight, motion blur, and lack of apps.
Galaxy AI is jumping from the Galaxy S24 to your favorite Samsung earbuds
By Michael L Hicks published
Galaxy AI Samsung's Buds 2 and Buds FE earbuds can now work with Live Translation and Interpretation, provided you have a Galaxy S24 phone connected to them.
Garmin Forerunner 255 vs. COROS PACE 3: Which is the best affordable MIP running watch?
By Michael L Hicks published
Bargain running watches The PACE 3 costs much less than the Forerunner 255, but both have very similar tech. Is Garmin's MIP running watch worth paying extra for?
I never expected to love the Apple Watch Ultra 2 so much, and now I'm in trouble
By Michael L Hicks published
Sunday Runday I've tested the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for the past few months, and it's changed what I want from smartwatches. Worse, it's made me a fan of the squircle.
New Moto Watch 40 looks to beat Galaxy Fit 3 at its own budget game
By Michael L Hicks published
Affordable health data Motorola's new budget tracker sounds very similar to its past watches, except with a band-sized display and a lower price. Will it be able to compete with Samsung or Xiaomi?
Leaked Garmin Forerunner 165 has nearly everything thrifty runners would want
By Michael L Hicks published
AMOLED upgrade Garmin running watches are among the best, but they're not cheap. The Forerunner 165 should offer upgrades over 55 and 255; the only question is how much it'll cost.
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