Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast
Episode: "Gadget Prices Are Getting Ridiculous"
Date: April 17, 2026
Host: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD)
Co-hosts: Andrew Manganelli, David Imel, (with Ellis and Adam)
Theme: Tech industry trends—escalating gadget prices, new product launches, UI quirks, and major industry updates.
Episode Overview
This episode is a whirlwind tour through new gadgets, price hikes, quirky software bugs, and some important industry updates. Marques Brownlee and the Waveform team dive into Samsung’s rising prices, Google’s long-overdue fix for back button hijacking, GoPro’s ambitious new camera direction, some smartphone oddities, and a flurry of “circle back” stories from previous episodes. Gadget lovers and tech-heads are in for a rapid-fire romp through how price, design, and practicality collide in today’s consumer technology.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. "Did They Even Test This?" — Global Gadget Quirks
- Xiaomi Leicaphone and Untranslated Features
- The global version weather app's "feels like" temperature is always in Celsius, even when main temperature is switched to Fahrenheit.
- Similar translation failures exist throughout global model.
- Quote (05:01)
David: “You can select the temperature units, select Fahrenheit. But the weather widget will always show the ‘feels like’ in Celsius.”
- Lack of real-world testing for non-Chinese markets is a persistent problem in global gadgets.
2. iPhone Air: Two Weeks In — Is It Worth the Tradeoffs?
- Light, Thin but Not a Camera Powerhouse
- MKBHD has switched to the black iPhone Air, mainly due to preference for color and for testing.
- Main positives: Unbelievable thinness and lightness; ease of forgetting the phone is even in your pocket.
- Major negatives: Weak battery life; missing ultra-wide and telephoto camera versatility.
- Quote (07:45)
Marques: "I've gotten really used to the thin and lightness of it. It's not just the thinness, it's the lightness that really gets you."
- Quote (08:29)
David: "The battery's so bad. Like, I'm used to a good battery and this one ... at 1pm I was at like 12%."
- Community data: 50% of listeners prefer telephoto as the secondary lens.
- Both Marques and David would prefer a telephoto added, but expect Apple to go with an ultra-wide next generation.
3. Samsung’s Move: New Foldables, Even More Model Creep … and Price Hikes
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 "Wide" and S27 "Pro"
- Samsung is racing to pre-empt rumored Apple wide-folding iPhone by pushing their own “wide” foldable.
- S27 Pro fills the gap between standard and Ultra models, with fewer features (notably missing the S Pen).
- Marques analogizes this mid-tier model to the Cadillac "Vistiq"—all about catering to every possible price point.
- Quote (21:17)
Marques: “That's exactly what this is. S27 Pro. It's going to be the same size as the Ultra. I just don't need to carry around that extra S pen and spend the extra money on it. ... It's such a good analogy.”
- Samsung Quietly Raises Gadget Prices
- Across phones and tablets, prices have spiked up to $280, with the Z Fold 7 now hitting $2,500 for top models.
- The official excuse: global memory shortages (though Samsung makes its own memory).
- Echoes earlier pricing moves by other manufacturers.
- Quote (22:42)
David: "Samsung has jacked up the price of almost a dozen Galaxy phones and tablets ... most of their tablets went up in price too..."
4. Google Finally Fixes "Back Button Hijacking"
- A 10-Year-Old UX Annoyance Gets Addressed
- Sketchy web pages commonly highjack browser back button functionality, keeping users trapped on junk pages.
- Google will now treat this as a malicious practice—sites can be down-ranked in search results.
- Quote (28:06)
Andrew: "The funniest part of the whole release of this is they said they've noticed a rise in this behavior. This has been going on for like 10 years."
- Team’s tone is relief mixed with incredulity at how long it took.
5. GoPro’s Big Pivot: Cinema-Grade Action Cams
- Mission One and the Interchangeable Lens System (ILS)
- GoPro launches its first non-Hero camera in 22 years: the Mission One.
- Big features: 1-inch sensor, 8K open gate, interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lens mount, tons of accessories for pro workflows.
- Limitations: The ILS version lacks autofocus (manual only), making precision use-case dependent.
- Quote (30:41)
Marques: “But now with this larger sensor they've made like an interchangeable lens mount version ... everything I ever wanted from a GoPro.”
- Quote (34:09)
David: "The sad part about these mics is that they do not do 32 bit float like the DJI ones do."
6. Google Releases Spotlight for Windows
- Universal Search and Screen AI
- New floating window widget for Windows, combines local file search and Google Drive search.
- Seen as a better hybrid alternative to Microsoft Copilot.
- Quote (37:00)
David: "Dare I say this is just a better version of Copilot..."
7. AI Bubble: Allbirds’ Bizarre AI Pivot
- From Shoes to GPU Cloud Services
- Failing shoe company Allbirds announces they're selling to focus on “GPU as a service” and will rename as “New Bird AI.”
- Team calls out the absurdity: classic AI bubble behavior.
- Quote (39:12)
Andrew: “Everything I said had to have a line that said this is real. ... [They're] going to pivot its business to AI compute infrastructure with a long-term vision to become a fully integrated GPU as a service.”
‘Circling Back’ — Follow-ups on Earlier Stories
1. Khaby Lame’s “Billion Dollar” AI Likeness Deal
- Paid in stock, which tanked after hype-induced run-up. Structurally similar to crypto rug-pulls.
- Quote (46:53)
Marques: “It was a rug pull. It’s very similar to what happens in crypto coins.”
2. NZXT Flex PC Rentals — Predatory Model Exposed
- Class-action suit settlement for scamming PC renters, especially minors and gamers.
- Some rented PCs had specs quietly downgraded; debt collection issues even for those who had paid.
- Quote (51:01)
David: "This is extra lame because ... they’re probably kind of targeting 15 year olds."
3. Pentagon/FCC and the “Router Ban”
- Netgear gets conditional approval to resume selling routers in the US until Oct 2027, despite initial fears that all non-US-made routers would be banned.
- Quote (52:45)
David: “So I'm not saying this was a bribe, but I'm not saying it wasn’t a bribe."
4. Right to Repair: John Deere Settlement
- $99M settlement for farmers: John Deere forced to allow offline diagnostics and access to repair documentation, albeit via subscription/licensing.
- Quote (56:50)
Andrew: “This still in the right to repair world has got to be one of the biggest wins, whether it’s a perfect win or not.”
5. Google Gemini on Mac—Hot Off the Press
- Rolling news update: Gemini "Spotlight" equivalent now available for Mac.
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
- 05:01 (On Xiaomi Leicaphone bug):
David: "The weather widget will always show the feels like in Celsius."
- 08:29 (On iPhone Air battery):
David: "The battery’s so bad. ... At 1pm I was at like 12%."
- 21:17 (On S27 Pro analogy):
Marques: "That's exactly what this is. S27 Pro. It's going to be the same size as the Ultra. I just don't need to carry around that extra S pen and spend the extra money on it."
- 30:41 (On GoPro Mission 1):
Marques: "Everything I ever wanted from a GoPro."
- 28:06 (On Google's back button fix):
Andrew: "This has been going on for like 10 years."
- 46:53 (On Khaby Lame deal):
Marques: “It was a rug pull. It’s very similar to what happens in crypto coins.”
- 51:01 (On NZXT Flex PC rentals):
David: "This is extra lame because ... they’re probably kind of targeting 15 year olds."
- 56:50 (On John Deere right to repair):
Andrew: "This still in the right to repair world has got to be one of the biggest wins, whether it’s a perfect win or not."
Important Timestamps
- 03:22 – "Did They Even Test This?" Xiaomi Leicaphone bug
- 07:00 – iPhone Air Post-Review Discussion
- 10:18 – Battery life complaints, camera tradeoffs
- 18:00 – Samsung Z Fold 8 Wide and S27 Pro rumors
- 22:42 – Samsung price hikes, memory supply talk
- 26:22 – Google fixes back button hijacking
- 29:17 – GoPro Mission 1 ILS Camera Feature Breakdown
- 37:00 – Google Spotlight for Windows
- 39:12 – Allbirds’ AI pivot
- 45:42 – "Circling Back" (past story updates)
- 53:54 – FCC/Netgear and router imports
- 54:55 – John Deere Right to Repair Settlement
Closing Segment: Sports/Tech Crossover
Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-Printed Golf Club Saga
- Uses a custom 3D-printed five iron at The Masters; explained with a techie lens.
- Also discussed: Augusta’s ban on smartphones and cameras—preserving the “OG” experience.
Quote (74:03):
Marques: “When you see photos of the Masters, it is a golfer hitting a shot, and everyone, instead of holding their phones, is just watching. ... Such a blast from the past.”
Podcast Trivia Segment (Throughout)
- 80:34 — GoPro's non-camera adventure: The GoPro Karma drone (2016-2018)
- 82:00 — 32°C equals 89.6°F
Summary
"Gadget Prices Are Getting Ridiculous" covers a broad sweep of current tech headaches, from runaway pricing to product confusion and long-overdue software fixes. The team brings expertise, irreverence, and nuanced commentary—helpful data for buyers, plus insight into why some things are just so broken. The episode balances technical breakdowns with user-centric anecdotes and the kind of skepticism only longtime tech reviewers deliver.
For listeners:
If you want an episode that bounces from critical industry news to the bizarre (Shoes-to-AI pivots!), sprinkles in product impressions and fixes for 10-year-old annoyances, and wraps up with a golf-tech crossover—this one’s for you.
