Hello! This is The Vergecast, the flagship podcast of The Verge... and your life. Every Friday, Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn make sense of the week's tech news with help from our wide-ranging staff. Join us every week for a fun, deeply nerdy, often off-the-rails conversation about what's happening now (and next) in technology and gadgets.
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Version History: BlackBerry Messenger
Back when text messages cost 10 cents each, BlackBerry came up with a better way: BlackBerry Messenger, commonly known as BBM. It was the first new idea about messaging in a long time, and it was a huge hit… for a while. Nilay Patel and Joanna Stern join David Pierce to talk about a messaging service that was years ahead of WhatsApp and iMessage, but ultimately fizzled. If you like the show, subscribe to the Version History feed to make sure you get every new episode. Let us know what you think: 866-VERGE-11 or vergecast@theverge.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Maybe it's real, maybe it's Sora
Say this for OpenAI: it's very good at raising money, and it's very good at getting attention. David and Jake are joined by The Verge's Hayden Field to talk about OpenAI's demo day, the company's app store plans, why it's trying to build every possible ChatGPT feature all at the same time, and more. After that, the hosts talk about the ongoing popularity of the Sora app, and whether OpenAI has truly built a new kind of social network. Then Hayden has to leave, so David and Jake take on the lightning round to discuss Intel chips, Alex Cooper's Google deal, Starry internet, and more. Further reading: OpenAI will let developers build apps that work inside ChatGPT ChatGPT apps are live: Here are the first ones you can try OpenAI: all the news about the makers of ChatGPT OpenAI’s head of ChatGPT said it will significantly evolve in the next six months. OpenAI will eventually allow “mature” ChatGPT apps. OpenAI and Jony Ive’s secret device won’t be ‘your weird AI girlfriend’ AMD teams up with OpenAI to challenge Nvidia’s AI chip dominance Sam Altman says there are no current plans for ads within ChatGPT Pulse — but he’s not ruling it out A busy week for OpenAI’s social video machine. Sora now lets users limit how their AI double is used OpenAI teases licensed fictional characters on Sora OpenAI wasn’t expecting Sora’s copyright drama Developers can bring Sora 2’s AI video generation into their own apps. Katie Notopolous on Threads Sora’s Slop Hits Different A new iPhone setting will stop CarPlay from stealing your AirPods’ audio Here is Panther Lake, Intel’s 2026 laptop chip with next-gen graphics\ Facebook is turning into TikTok Alex Cooper is making ads for Google / Pixel Here’s how Apple is locking down iPhones to comply with Texas’ age verification law Verizon buys the not-quite-5G wireless ISP Starry to expand wireless broadband Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google's extreme smart home makeover
Oh, you thought AI was just in your browser and on your phone? Well, the AI is coming from inside the house. The Verge's Jen Pattison Tuohy and Google's Anish Kattukaran both join the show to discuss last week's Google smart home news, including the company's big bet on the Gemini assistant. Anish explains why Google cares about the smart home in the first place, why things haven't exactly gone great so far, and why he's so convinced the new generation of AI can make it work. After that, The Verge's Vee Song joins the show to talk about Peloton's newest gear, including a $6,695 treadmill and a huge new push into personalized AI training features. Vee then sticks around to help David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about how many smartwatches is too many smartwatches. Spoiler alert: the answer is two. But it's not quite as simple as that. Further reading: Peloton increases fees and introduces new hardware including a $6,695 treadmill Peloton appoints Apple Fitness Plus cofounder as new CEO Peloton is a media company now, with media company problems Google dismantled Nest — can Gemini save what’s left? Hey Google, meet Gemini: the new voice of your smart home The new Google Home Speaker is built for Gemini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Version History: Hoverboards
In 2015, self-balancing scooters (which quickly became known as hoverboards) exploded in popularity, and then began literally exploding. Andrew Hawkins and Sean O’Kane join David Pierce to explore the multiple conflicting origin stories behind the hugely popular rideable, the many knockoffs, and why a device that doesn't actually hover ended up being called "hoverboard." If you like the show, subscribe to the Version History feed to make sure you get every new episode. Let us know what you think: 866-VERGE-11 or vergecast@theverge.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The real price of a free TV
This week, everything is a HomePod. And has ads. The Verge’s Jen Pattison-Tuohy joins the show to talk about all of Amazon’s new hardware, the current state of Alexa Plus, and whether the new Kindle Scribe is the one we’ve been waiting for. Then, The Verge’s Emma Roth tells Jen and David about her experience with Telly, the TV that ships to your house for free in exchange for showing you ads all the time. Telly may not be for everyone. Finally, in the lightning round, the gang talks about a handy new Spotify feature, Emma’s first Waymo ride, and the glory that is Chunk. Further reading: Amazon’s 2025 hardware event: the 8 biggest announcements Here’s where to preorder all of Amazon’s new Alexa devices and when they arrive Amazon finally did the damn hardware right Amazon’s new Echo Dot Max smart speaker bumps up the bass Alexa Plus is smarter — but it’s not yet smart enough Alexa Plus on the TV is made to save you from your phone Alexa Plus is smarter — but it’s not yet smart enough Alexa Plus on the TV is made to save you from your phone Amazon sticks two cameras together for the 180-degree Blink Arc The new Google Home Speaker is built for Gemini Hey Google, meet Gemini: the new voice of your smart home | The Verge I spent three months with Telly, the free TV that’s always showing ads OpenAI made a TikTok for deepfakes, and it’s getting hard to tell what’s real Spotify now lets you exclude specific songs from your algorithm All hail the new Fat Bear Champion Ring launches upgraded cameras with ‘Retinal Vision’ 4K recording Microsoft is giving Copilot AI faces you can chat with Waymo adds YouTube Music Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
My other car is a cargo bike
Sure, you could drive to the grocery store and to school. But wouldn’t you rather grab a few hundred of your friends and bike-bus everywhere? The Verge’s Andy Hawkins joins the show to tell us all about his adventures with electric cargo bikes, and why he thinks they’re the ride of the future. After that, Lauren Feiner calls in from just outside a courthouse in Virginia, where she’s watching the remedies trial in Google’s adtech monopoly case. Google already lost the case; what happens next is still anyone’s guess. Finally, David answers a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about how to feel about summarizing YouTube videos with AI. The short version: you should feel a lot of things. Further reading: Why your next car should be an electric cargo bike Electric cargo bikes are rewiring cities Can Google be trusted without a break up? US v. Google redux: all the news from the ad tech trial Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tick Tock, TikTok
After more than five years of backing and forthing, secret meetings and loud screeds, it appears the fate of TikTok in the US has finally been decided. Maybe. There are still a lot of unknowns, but we're pretty sure we know the bones of the deal — and we know which of President Trump's allies stand to benefit the most. Before we get to all that, though, David and Jake run through some big news in future gadgets, including the long-awaited-and-maybe-happening combination of Android and ChromeOS and the possibilities for a touchscreen MacBook. Then, The Verge's Liz Lopatto joins to talk TikTok. And Trump. Then, in the lightning round, the three hosts talk through Jimmy Kimmel's return, Nvidia's money problems, a surprising AmEx perk, and much more. Further reading: Google’s Android for PC: ‘I’ve seen it, it is incredible’ Our biggest questions about ChromeOS and Android merging The foldable iPhone might look like two iPhone Airs stuck together The touchscreen MacBook rumors are never ending OpenAI might also be developing AI glasses, a voice recorder, and a pin Trump claims the US is about to get a tremendous fee for taking TikTok out of China Trump signs executive order approving TikTok deal Some details of the TikTok deal have been worked out. What Trump Wants from a TikTok Deal with China American Investors Will License and Oversee TikTok’s U.S. Version, White House Says TikTok Deal Could Make Oracle Founder Larry Ellison a New Kind of Media Mogul Anker’s party speaker projector hits Kickstarter with a sizable discount. Montblanc is getting into the digital notepad game Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro can be easily scratched It costs $895 per year to get American Express’ premium app theme Nvidia is partnering up with OpenAI to offer compute and cash Kimmel returns to television to mock FCC Chair Brendan Carr Sinclair won’t air Kimmel. Trump on Truth Social Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
YouTube wants you to go live
In all the tech news and world news last week, YouTube's Made On event got a little lost. So we circled back: The Verge's Mia Sato explains why YouTube is suddenly all-in on livestreaming, why it seems to be rapidly turning into a shopping mall, and whether all these AI features will improve YouTube or destroy it. After that, it's time for a second round of David's Summer Takes, in which he subjects The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes and Hayden Field to his thoughts on Threads, podcasts, and social media. Finally, Hayden sticks around to answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about the words we use when we talk AI. Further reading: YouTube makes it easier and more lucrative to go live YouTube is inching closer to becoming a shopping channel YouTube is going all in on AI New YouTube AI tools help creators give viewers what they want Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meta's quest to own your face
There’s a lot of gadget news this week! But we begin the show in an unprecedented way: with a bit of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, America’s favorite podcast within a podcast. Nilay pops on the show to discuss what happened to Jimmy Kimmel, why the FCC’s assault on speech is so dangerous, and why a couple of broadcast TV companies matter so much to the story. After that, Jake Kastrenakes and Richard Lawler join to talk about all of Meta’s new smart glasses, including the company’s first pair with a built-in display. Finally, in the lightning round, we talk about Reddit’s new AI deal with Google, Nvidia’s new chip deal with Intel, and Samsung’s terrible plan to put ads on your fridge. Further reading: Here’s the Jimmy Kimmel clip that got him pulled off the air Jimmy Kimmel Live pulled after FCC threat over Charlie Kirk joke Republicans are honoring Charlie Kirk’s memory by declaring war on the First Amendment Charlie Kirk’s death got complicated by “extremely online” culture The right wing is creating a society of snitches Meta Ray-Ban Display hands-on: the best smart glasses I’ve ever tried Oakley Meta Vanguard hands-on: what athletes actually want Meta’s new Ray-Ban smart glasses have twice the battery life Conversation focus is the first new feature on deck. I sat down with Mark Zuckerberg to try Meta’s impressive new Ray-Ban Display glasses Meta is opening up its smart glasses to developers | The Verge Snap OS 2.0 is a small step towards AR glasses you might actually wear Android’s next flagship processor is the ‘Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5’ Nothing wants you to talk to your earbuds’ charging case Nvidia invests $5 billion into Intel to jointly develop PC and data center chips The US and China might finally have a TikTok deal U.S. Investors, Trump Close In on TikTok Deal With China Samsung brings ads to US refrigerators Reddit wants a better AI deal with Google: users in exchange for content YouTube is inching closer to becoming a shopping channel Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Who is the iPhone Air really for?
It's been a busy week for The Verge's product reviewers! We've got three new phones, three new watches, and a set of earbuds on the docket, and the team is ready to talk about (almost) all of it. First, Allison Johnson and Jake Kastrenakes join to talk about their experiences with the iPhone Air, iPhone 17, and iPhone 17 Pro. One is fabulous with some compromises, one is just a down-the-middle excellent phone, and the other is for camera nerds. After that, Victoria Song talks about the AirPods Pro 3, which are also a stellar upgrade, and then helps us make sense of the new lineup of Apple Watches. There's the SE 3, the Series 11, and the Ultra 3, but there's only one clear winner for most people. Finally, we answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about Apple's up-and-down focus on AI Further reading: The iPhone 17 is the one to get this year Apple iPhone Air review: statement piece Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro is a bold redesign but a basic upgrade AirPods Pro 3 review: tripling down on a good thing The Apple Watch SE 3 is the one to buy Apple Watch Series 11 review: stuck in the middle The unbearable sameness of Liquid Glass Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Our hottest takes on AI's wild summer
One thing you should know about the iPhone launch is that there’s... not usually a lot of other tech news around the iPhone launch. So David and Jake start this episode with some more information about the iPhone launch, including some controversial details we missed about the AirPods Pro 3 and the argument in favor of the crossbody strap. After that, with David back on the mic, it’s time for a round of AI-focused hot takes with The Verge’s Hayden Field. The gang talks ChatGPT, Claude, money, more money, and what counts as a real friend. (And money.) Finally, in the lightning round — yes, once again the LIGHTNING ROUND — the three co-hosts talk about Canon’s confusing new camera, the future of Reddit, Claude’s spreadsheet-y future, and much more. Further reading: Apple isn’t packing a charging cable in with the AirPods Pro 3 Apple’s misunderstood crossbody iPhone strap might be the best I’ve seen Apple says the iPhone 17 comes with a massive security upgrade New Beats earbuds leak hours before Apple’s big event Nothing’s Ear 3 earbuds have a microphone and ‘talk’ button on their charging case Google pulls the Pixel 10’s Daily Hub to ‘enhance its performance’ David Zaslav thinks HBO Max is ‘way underpriced’ Exclusive | Paramount Skydance Prepares Ellison-Backed Bid for Warner Reddit is dropping subscriber counts on subreddits Reddit is testing a way to read articles without leaving the app Canon is bringing back a point-and-shoot from 2016 with fewer features and a higher price (it’s viral Spotify adds lossless streaming after 8 years of teasing Anthropic’s Claude can now make you a spreadsheet or slide deck. The MechaHitler defense contract is raising red flags Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The orange iPhone stole the show
Fresh off a day filled with new Apple products, The Verge’s ground team reports back on everything they’ve seen — and touched. Allison Johnson walks us through the new iPhone Air, iPhone 17, and iPhone 17 Pro lineups, making sense of all the new camera features and wondering just how thin a phone really can be. After that, Victoria Song talks about why the AirPods Pro 3 may have been the big hit of the day, plus all the details on the three new models of Apple Watch. Finally, Jake Kastrenakes tells us about his first experience live at an Apple event, explains the appeal of a crossbody strap, and has a theory about why an orange phone is such a big deal. Further reading: The eight biggest announcements during Apple’s iPhone Air event | The Verge All the news from Apple’s iPhone 17 event | The Verge Apple announces the ultra-slim iPhone Air | The Verge iPhone Air hands-on | The Verge Apple iPhone 17 hands-on | The Verge Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro has the biggest battery of any iPhone | The Verge Apple’s iPhone 17 drops the Plus, but gains a bigger, faster display | The Verge iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max: our initial hands-on impressions | The Verge The 2TB iPhone 17 Pro Max costs $1,999. | The Verge The iPhone 17 comes with Apple’s new in-house networking chip | The Verge Apple’s new iPhone Air accessories include a slim MagSafe battery, TechWoven case, and crossbody strap Apple’s new MagSafe battery is only designed for the new iPhone Air | The Verge All right, what new Apple stuff are we buying? | The Verge The new iPhones all have Center Stage front-facing cameras | The Verge Apple announces AirPods Pro 3 with ‘world’s best ANC’ and heart rate sensing | The Verge The Apple Watch Ultra 3 has 42 hours of battery life and satellite connectivity | The Verge Apple announces new entry-level $249 Apple Watch SE 3 with always-on display | The Verge The iPhone Air’s battery pack is slim, but not as slim as the iPhone Air Apple’s new MagSafe battery is only designed for the new iPhone Air Phone 17 Pro “clear” case that is MOSTLY NOT CLEAR Apple barely talked about AI at its big iPhone 17 event | The Verge iOS 26 is out on September 15th | The Verge Apple’s macOS Tahoe 26 update releases September 15th | The Verge Apple reveals iPadOS 26 release date | The Verge Apple will launch watchOS 26 on September 15th | The Verge Apple’s using more recycled materials in its iPhones and watches Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Your robot is about to get its own robot
It's a big week for the smart home. Jake, Vee, and Jen sit down to chat about all the new tech out of IFA, from robots that carry robot vacuums up stairs to upgrades that turn 10-year-old Hue bulbs into motion sensors. Then, Lauren joins the show to talk about the Google antitrust remedies ruling and what Google is going to have to do to allow more competition in the search market. Finally, the Thunder Round is back and better than ever. We're talking $2,000 smart watches, Amazon yanking a major Prime perk, the Pixel 10 Pro's 100x AI zoom, Instagram for iPad, and drama at the FTC. Further reading: Eufy built a stairlift for its robovacs Inside Philips Hue’s plans to make all your lights motion sensors Philips Hue responds to cheaper competitors with major product overhaul SwitchBot has ambitions to be the AI that powers your smart home Samsung’s Galaxy S25 FE and Tab S11 are thinner, lighter, and otherwise about the same Google gets to keep Chrome, judge rules in search antitrust case Google critics think the search remedies ruling is a total whiff Here’s what Google and the DOJ had to say about the search remedies ruling The tech antitrust renaissance may already be over Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro series finally lets you leave your phone at home — sort of Instagram is coming to iPad, 15 years later Amazon ends shared Prime free shipping outside your home Ousted Democratic FTC commissioner can return (again) for now Here’s how the Pixel’s AI zoom compares to a real 100x lens Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11. We love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why are online puzzle games having a moment?
Hooked on LinkedIn’s Queens? Gotta extend your Wordle streak in the New York Times games app before you start your day? You’re in good company on today’s Vergecast episode. Allison Johnson is joined by Simon Anthony and Mark Goodliffe, world-class puzzle champs and hosts of the delightful Cracking the Cryptic, a YouTube channel where they solve a puzzle on camera every single day. They specialize in Sudoku — and not just the classic number games you might be familiar with. Simon and Mark tackle mind-bending, seemingly impossible puzzles, working through it all in realtime, sometimes over the course of several hours. What happens when you get stuck? How can you tell the difference between a puzzle made by a human and a computer-generated one? Why are we addicted to puzzle games all of a sudden? They help us crack the clues. Then Allison sits down with Marc Levoy, one of the pioneers of computational photography, to talk about his new camera app: Project Indigo. Levoy is known for his earlier work on the Pixel camera, and was a driving force in shaping phone photography into what it is now. We last caught up with him in 2020 when he left Google for Adobe, so we got up to speed on what the heck he’s been doing for the last five years — and the important difference between HDR and an HDR-ish photo. Finally, Allison takes a hotline question from someone who is not particular about their phone camera’s image quality, but does have a beef with camera bumps. Cracking the Cryptic — YouTube This 25-minute video is the most riveting sudoku puzzle you will ever watch The Atlantic is making a big push into games I regret to inform you that LinkedIn’s games are very fun The mastermind of Google’s Pixel camera quietly left the company in March The brain behind the Google Pixel camera is building a universal camera app for Adobe Marc Levoy on the balance of camera hardware, software, and artistic expression Adobe launches a new ‘computational photography’ camera app for iPhones Adobe’s new camera app is making me rethink phone photography Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Pixel 10's AI screamed at us
The Pixel 10 is in the house, and we’ve been testing them for over a week now. Allison and Vee sit down with Jake to discuss their tests — the good, the bad, and the poorly translated. They demo the Pixel 10's live phone call translations and dive into Pro Res Zoom, which uses AI to enhance photos zoomed in up to 100x. Then, it’s time to talk Dish, Intel, and Elon. Dish is giving up on being a major mobile carrier, Intel is now partially owned by the US government, and Elon has filed a questionable lawsuit against Apple. Finally, we wrap up with a Thunder Round to discuss K-Pop Demon Hunters, YouTube Shorts’ secret “AI,” Android’s registration requirement for developers, Taco Bell’s drive through AI attempt, and a delivery locker on wheels. Further reading: Google Pixel 10 Pro review: AI, Qi2, and a spec bump too Apple’s iPhone 17 launch event is set for September 9th Dish gives up on becoming the fourth major wireless carrier The Trump administration promised a fourth wireless carrier — America got a hot mess instead US government takes 10 percent stake in Intel in exchange for money it was already on the hook for Elon Musk’s xAI is suing OpenAI and Apple Elon Musk’s xAI quietly dropped its status as a public benefit corporation My new beat is K-Pop Demon Hunters Taco Bell AI Drive thru sna-fu Is YouTube’s Shorts experiment using AI or just upscaling? | The Verge This new delivery robot will bring the entire grocery store to you Google will verify Android developers distributing apps outside the Play store Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices