Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

Episode: "The Next iPhone Will Be…Orange?"

Date: August 1, 2025
Hosts: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), Andrew Manganelli, David Imel, Ellis
Podcast Network: Vox Media

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Waveform crew dives into a whirlwind of recent tech rumors and first-hand experiences. The team "speed runs" through hot topics: new iPhone 17 leaks hinting at a bold orange color and design changes, hands-on tests with Tesla Robo Taxis and Xiaomi’s SU7 EV in the US, thoughts on the surprising return of Pebble watches, and even more on MagSafe and Qi2 coming to the next Pixel 10. They also debate the utility of humanoid robots, discuss the state of Wordle, and celebrate quirky new tech design concepts. As usual, their mix of expertise, humor, and camaraderie creates a jam-packed, listener-friendly tech rundown.

Major Topics & Key Discussions

1. Banter & Audience Encounters

• The crew shares lively stories of bumping into fans and each other in unexpected places ("Is that Ellis? ...I look up and it's Marques and Jono at the airport." — 03:42).
• Listener recognition stories underline their reach and community—Marques notes being called “that car guy,” and Ellis jokes about being famous for panoramas.

2. Wordle Woes: The Great Five-Letter Word Shortage

[05:03–11:35]

• The frustration with increasingly obscure Wordle solutions is palpable.

  • Words like "tizzy," "assay," and "foist" stump even the most seasoned players.
  • Strategies are discussed—e.g., never using words ending in ‘s’ since those are not chosen.
  • Quote:

    "I'm starting to think they're at the actual bottom of the barrel."
    — Marques, 05:39

• The crew theorizes about what happens when Wordle's list runs out and pitches creative new versions ("Wordle 4, Wordle 6...").

3. Tesla Robo Taxi: Hands-On in Austin

[11:37–17:58]

• Marques shares his first-ever experience with Tesla Robo Taxis, comparing it to Waymo.
  • Highlight: Marques loses his iPhone in the robo taxi, tracks it via "Find My," and narrates a wild chase around Austin until it's recovered at a service center.
  • They debate the implications of truly driverless taxis—what happens when there's no driver to return your lost stuff?
  • Quote:

    "My iPhone with the RoboTaxi app is sitting in the robo taxi in the backseat as it's driving away around Austin, Texas, somewhere. First reaction is definitely, oh, God, I'm never gonna see that again."
    — Marques, 13:14

4. Xiaomi SU7: A Smartphone Company’s Stab at Cars

[19:51–27:04]

• Ellis test drives the imported Xiaomi SU7, details its modularity, and equates it to “an Android phone on wheels.”

  • Modular add-ons: air freshener, headrest speakers, swappable controllers, wireless Mi Pad mount, and a fridge in the backseat.
  • The version tested ("Max") starts at ~$41k—remarkably affordable for its tech/feature set.
  • Quote:

    "To me, it felt a lot like a Model S, but nicer because it had...a lot of strange features."
    — Ellis, 26:10

• They compare it to US EV options, lamenting tariffs and mapping limitations for bringing such cars to the states.

5. Cadillac Celestiq: A $340,000 Custom EV

[27:12–29:52]

• Marques recounts reviewing Cadillac's ultra-luxury, handmade, ultra-customizable EV.
  • Everything is extreme—saturated colors, bespoke interior, four-zone glass roof.
  • David raises concerns: Is it wise to make ultra-luxury EVs with potentially limited battery life?
  • Quote:

    "It kind of looked photoshopped. It looked like I took a picture...and just turned the saturation slider to blue."
    — Marques, 28:14

6. Humanoid Robots: Hype vs. Utility

[30:27–36:17]

• A viral video shows Figure Robot's F02 doing laundry, reigniting the debate: Should robots be humanoid, or should each task have its own specialized robot?
  • Marques leans toward specialized solutions: “Instead of putting the human-shaped robot in the car to drive it, a far more efficient solution...is that the car is the robot.”
  • Ellis voices concerns about anthropomorphic robots and their societal impacts.
  • Quote:

    “I don't really want humanoid things walking around with us all the time because I would rather humans stick to the humanoid shape and that the robots stick to the robot shape…”
    — Ellis, 35:09

7. iPhone 17 Pro Leaks: Orange is the New Black

[39:22–46:49]

• Leaked dummy models reveal a bold new orange color for the Pro line—unprecedented for a flagship iPhone.
  • New “camera bar” design, shuffled colors (black, white, dark blue, orange for Pro), and evidence for incoming iPhone 17 Air.
  • Speculation and excitement for more colorful, visually distinct phones.
  • Quote:

    "If this is the actual lineup...it's one of the more exciting ones Apple has had in a long time."
    — Alice, 44:34

8. MagSafe / Qi2 and Pixel 10

[47:56–52:54]

• Possible integration of Qi2 wireless charging (with MagSafe-style magnets) in the upcoming Pixel 10—a major win for Android users who want MagSafe accessories without bulky cases.
  • Leak evidence from Evan Blass suggests Google will finally build magnets into its phone bodies, not just MagSafe-like cases.
  • Quote:

    “Now there’s a very, very, very strong chance that the Pixel is going to have official Qi2...effectively confirms that it has the magnets built inside the phone because the charger is, like, stuck directly to the phone.”
    — Ellis, 51:15

9. Pebble Watch is Back!

[61:19–66:24]

• OG Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky regains the Pebble trademark (and gets Google's blessing!)—the beloved minimal e-paper smartwatch is officially returning under its classic name, not "Core."

  • Surprising: Google open-sourced the hardware, letting Migicovsky relaunch.
  • Quote:

    "All of the repo marketplace for all the original Pebble watch faces and apps...is still up. And these new Pebbles...it all still works."
    — David, 64:02

• The crew celebrates Pebble’s simplicity, vast back-catalog of apps, and a refreshing alternative to feature-bloated modern watches.

10. Notable Quick Bits & Concepts

• YouTube Jump Ahead: Coming to TVs—auto-skipping to key video segments.
• Jordan (YouTuber): Praised for clever videos blending tech and music (“I saved a PNG to a bird”).
• Design: Pixel Over-Ear Headphone Concept: Stunning Behance mockup gets widespread approval.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “I'm starting to think they're at the actual bottom of the barrel.” — Marques, on Wordle’s recent difficulty [05:39]
• Story of losing (and tracking) an iPhone inside a robo taxi — Marques [13:14–16:44]
• “To me, it felt a lot like a Model S, but nicer...” — Ellis, on Xiaomi SU7 [26:10]
• "It kind of looked photoshopped..." — Marques, on Cadillac Celestiq's blue interior [28:14]
• "Instead of putting the human-shaped robot in the car to drive it, a far more efficient solution...is that the car is the robot." — Marques [33:38]
• "I don't really want humanoid things walking around with us all the time..." — Ellis [35:09]
• "If this is the actual lineup...it's one of the more exciting ones Apple has had in a long time." — Alice, about iPhone 17 leaks [44:34]
• "Now there’s a very, very, very strong chance that the Pixel is going to have official Qi2..." — Ellis [51:15]
• "All of the repo marketplace for all the original Pebble watch faces and apps...is still up." — David [64:02]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Banter, Recognition Stories | 01:10–04:44 | | Wordle Frustrations | 05:03–11:35 | | Tesla Robo Taxi Adventure in Austin | 11:37–17:58 | | Lost Item Protocol in Robo vs. Human-driven Cars | 16:04–18:00 | | Xiaomi SU7 Car Review | 19:51–27:04 | | Cadillac Celestiq Ultra-Luxury EV | 27:12–29:52 | | Human-Shaped Robot vs. Task-Specific Robots | 30:27–36:17 | | iPhone 17 Pro Dummy Leaks (Orange!) | 39:22–46:49 | | Qi2 Wireless Charging in Pixel 10 | 47:56–52:54 | | Pebble Watch Relaunch | 61:19–66:24 | | Notable Quick Hits (YouTube Jump, DSP Jokes, etc) | 67:00–70:29 |

Closing Notes

• Several segments feature the fun, competitive trivia game and listener Q&A, culminating in a preview of what’s coming: new Pixel and iPhone launches, more deep-dive reviews, and two episodes without Marques due to his Ultimate Frisbee world championship trip.
• Closing Quote:

  “Thank you again for watching and for listening and for tuning in this week and subscribing...and if you did subscribe, that means we'll see you next week.” — Marques, 75:31