Waveform Podcast – "How Much Will the iPhone Fold Cost?"

Date: January 30, 2026
Hosts: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), Andrew Manganelli, David Imel, Ellis Roven, Mariah Zank
Theme: The evolving landscape of tech—from weather YouTube and the nature of creator economics, to hot Apple and Samsung hardware debates, and ending with a lively tech game session.

Episode Overview

This episode is a whirlwind tour through the recent blizzard of tech news and internet culture. The crew opens with a deep dive into the "Weather YouTube" phenomenon, draws analogies with tech coverage, and explores recent big headlines: Samsung’s $2,899 Trifold, the acquisition deal for TikTok star Khaby Lame, and Apple’s new AirTag. The second half is equally vibrant, with discussions on the future pricing and form factors for the iPhone Fold, industry speculation (like touchscreen MacBooks), Samsung's S26 privacy display, and U.S. TikTok’s rocky handover. The episode ends with a heated, hilarious tech word game.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Weather YouTube Is the Tech YouTube of Meteorology

[01:10–12:27]

• Discussion: Ellis spotlights the unique subculture of "Weather YouTube," drawing strong parallels to “Tech YouTube.”

• Details:

  • Storms and blizzards now serve as the genre’s equivalent of a big product launch.
  • Big creators vs. small up-and-comers: Larger channels “feast” on big events, smaller ones seek a unique angle.
  • Sensationalism was rampant, whether from independent creators or traditional outlets like weather.com.
  • Quote: "There's a bunch of the big channels... they are feasting. They are putting out two videos a day, talking about the different models..." – Ellis Roven [03:45]

• Timestamps:

  • [03:45] – Weather coverage dynamics
  • [07:13] – “Traditional media also sensationalizes things.” – Marques Brownlee

• Notable moment: Mariah mentions her weather app turning "blood red" to dramatize the coming storm. [09:17]

• User experience debate: Default weather apps are generally less accurate but more attractive; Carrot Weather is praised for its data reliability and design.

2. The Khaby Lame $900 Million (or Not) Headline

[12:31–20:01]

• Discussion: Viral TikTok creator Khaby Lame "sells" his likeness in a $900M deal, raising eyebrows about actual value and creator economics.
  • Despite the headline, the amount is equity in a company (Rich Sparkle Holdings) rather than cash.
  • Plan: Monetize Lame’s cloned likeness in AI—projected up to $4 billion annual turnover.
  • Skepticism all around: “This just seems insane… I lean towards somebody got scammed somewhere or is going to.” – Ellis [16:18]
  • Comparison to streaming contracts and their headline figures vs real payouts.
• Notable quotes:
  • “Numbers are made up.” – Marques Brownlee [18:13]
  • “I want to pay to see their pitch deck for this.” – David Imel [17:12]
• Insight: Shortform video monetization still not substantial; AIs managing creator likenesses could be a risky bet.

3. Rant Mode: Platform Frustrations & BBK Mystery

[20:11–26:41]

• Hot takes include:
  • Google Image search and download limitations ("keeping you on platform").
  • The BBK Electronics restructuring—a longtime Chinese phone conglomerate quietly dissolved years ago.
  • Quote: “I feel really stupid. What exactly? We should have known.” – Marques [25:18]
  • Comparison to other companies’ convoluted ownership structures (Hasselblad/DJI, Google/Alphabet).

4. Apple’s Week of Small Updates: AirTag 2nd Gen & Final Cut Pro [26:43–33:59]

• AirTag 2nd Gen
  • Slightly longer finding range, louder speaker, new chime pitch (“...from an F to a G… more piercing.” – Ellis [30:57])
  • Humorously hyped as “the news of the year” in tongue-in-cheek fashion.
• Final Cut Pro & Creator Studio
  • App icons go “bold and indiscernible” to encourage color-based recognition.
  • Quote: “You just associate a color with the app now.” – Ellis [28:14]
  • Apple’s ecosystem changes and maintaining feature sets for legacy app buyers appreciated.

5. Samsung Trifold and the Folding iPhone Price Speculation

[43:04–55:12]

• Samsung Trifold U.S. price: $2,899. Available only direct from Samsung.
  • "A thousand dollars a side." – Marques [43:17]
  • Intended for a niche audience wanting a phone-tablet hybrid (not two separate devices).
• Apple’s Folding iPhone?
  • Now likely to be priced above $2,000 (“My guess is $2,199” – Marques [46:12]).
  • Debated: Will it support iPad apps or just a “bigger iPhone” experience?
  • Quote: “There’s gotta be something, some reason that you get the foldable. Like something that you can do on the foldable that you can’t do on the regular iPhone.” – Ellis [51:54]
  • iPad Mini size as reference point; speculation on unified OS (merged iOS/iPadOS) dismissed, fluid experience likely prioritized.

6. Touchscreen MacBooks & Form Factor Evolution

[54:06–56:58]

• Nostalgia vs. practicality for touchscreen laptops.
• Marques: “In Photoshop, being able to turn things, rotate things, zoom in... it's very helpful...”
• OLED, anti-glare, and whether Apple will charge a premium for touch.

7. Samsung S26: Hardware-level Privacy Display [57:12–63:40]

• New “privacy mode” display feature: specific screen regions become unreadable from side angles (“shoulder surfing”).
• Compared to privacy screen protectors, Cadillac’s in-car passenger screens, and smart glass tinting.
• Quote: “They need to do what the Nintendo 3DS did where it tracks your eyes.” – Marques [59:23]
• Discussion of routine/automation integration, costs, and potential repair headaches.

8. U.S. TikTok Takeover Goes Off the Rails – and Where To Go Instead

[63:40–70:41]

• Oracle and U.S. investor takeover leads to tech outages and “banned word” fiasco.
• “...the crazy combination of stupidity and malice is just making this whole thing really bad.” – Marques [69:00]
• New algorithm? Nobody knows if it's ByteDance’s secret sauce or an “Americanized” version.
• Fledgling platforms (Upscrolled, Skylight), and frustrations with lack of progress in decentralized social networks (Threads, Bluesky/Fediverse).
• Real-world impact: Ellis notes a TikTok got only 1/50th its normal views post-takeover.

9. Trivia & Wavelengths Game: Tech Words, Product Names, and More

[70:41–end]

• Tech-centered “Wavelengths” Game
  • Team rounds connecting clues to numbers along creative scales: "Glad it’s dead" to "wish it was back," "never heard of (CEO)" to "household name," "not throwable" to "super throwable," etc.
  • Issues of reading partner’s mind, tech history knowledge, and layered in-jokes (e.g., “LG G5” as a clue; “backyard baseball” in video game round).
  • Standout gameplay banter and competitive energy—lots of playful trolling.
• Trivia Highlights:
  • Longest English word using only Apple chip letters (winner: “untrust”).
  • Samsung SE130LC2 revealed as an excavator—confirms Samsung makes everything.
  • Quote: “You know, you could argue that a lawnmower excavates grass from the lawn.” – Marques [117:42]

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On Weather YouTube:
  • “It is a microcosm… There’s the big channels… then there are the smaller channels, then the traditional ones… it mirrors tech YouTube in every way.” – Ellis Roven [03:45–05:59]
• On Khaby Lame's AI Destiny:
  • “If they successfully generate $4 billion a year from authorizing the use of one person’s face ID, voice ID and behavioral models… I’ll give them all the props...” – Ellis [17:09]
• On Platform Lock-in:
  • “[Google] intentionally did not let you get rid of that widget on Android for a very long time.” – Marques [23:31]
• On Apple Updates:
  • “They didn’t change the price. They give us all of this for the same price.” – Ellis [31:43] (re: AirTag 2nd gen)
• On Samsung Trifold’s Price:
  • “You have to be in the small, very picky group who really wants this phone to spend that much on it.” – Ellis [44:36]
• On the TikTok/Oracle Handover:
  • “...there’s a lot of conspiracy theories, like buzzing up that they already changed the algorithm, they're already suppressing your speech. And like, while I think this is probably incompetence, I also think they won't not suppress your speech." – Marques [65:53]

Episode Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------|------------------| | Weather YouTube & Tech Parallels | 01:10–12:27 | | Khaby Lame Acquisition Rant | 12:31–20:01 | | Google, BBK, Platform Rants | 20:11–26:41 | | Apple’s “Small Update” Week | 26:43–33:59 | | Samsung Trifold / Folding iPhone | 43:04–55:12 | | Touchscreen MacBooks & OS | 54:06–56:58 | | Samsung S26 Privacy Display | 57:12–63:40 | | TikTok U.S. Takeover Fallout | 63:40–70:41 | | Tech Word Game / Trivia | 70:41–end |

Tone

The episode is fast, friendly, deeply nerdy, and generous with sarcasm. The crew mixes tech expertise, media criticism, and pure comedic banter. Each host's personality shines, and the group's chemistry is at its peak—mocking bland product launches, questioning corporate logic, and stumping each other in word games.

Useful for Listeners Who Missed It

• Great for catching up on flagship device news: The Samsung Trifold price shock and what it means for Apple’s folding iPhone.
• Creator economy insights: Realism about shortform content, AI creator clones, and what’s hype/vs real value.
• App and platform skepticism: Firsthand rants about UX, monetization, and why you can no longer download images with a tap.
• Lively, relatable tech banter: From weather apps to why nobody trusts TikTok post-takeover.
• Fun for trivia/game lovers: The team’s banter and geeky knowledge shine during the competitive word games.

Episode summary prepared in original language/tone of the hosts, complete with timestamps, highlight quotes, and engaging breakdown!