Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

Episode: "What Does the iPhone Event Invitation Mean?"

Date: August 29, 2025
Hosts: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), Andrew Liszewski, David Imel, and guests (Ellis Robin, Miles Somerville)
Podcast Network: Vox Media Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the latest tech stories circulating in the community, focusing on Apple’s newly announced iPhone 17 event and its mysterious invitation art, alongside rich discussion about new camera hardware (Hasselblad X2D Mark 2, Ricoh GR4), smartphone camera hype and fakery (inspired by Nothing Phone 3 shenanigans), and hands-on impressions of the Google Pixel 10. The crew further explores the recent launch of YouTube's 'hype' feature for smaller creators and reacts to delays and drama in indie game launches. Listeners are offered both critical analysis and spirited banter on what drives excitement and skepticism in today’s tech news cycle.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Chatter & Viral Topics

• French Dub Blunder on Old Videos ([02:29])
  • The team shares a hilarious anecdote about a comically bad human-dubbed French audio track on one of their YouTube videos. The dub was so broken and poorly executed that the team wonders if it was done deliberately as a joke.
  • Quote:
    "It kind of seems on purpose, like if I was a human and I was like, I wonder if anybody's really listening to these. I'd just make up French sounds."
    — Marques Brownlee ([04:08])

2. Deep Dive: Hasselblad X2D Mark 2 & Camera Trends

• Hands-on Camera Geekery ([04:46]–[16:06])
  • The crew discusses the Hasselblad X2D Mark 2: a premium, medium format camera with an extraordinary dynamic range, innovative in-body image stabilization (10 stops!), built-in terabyte storage, LiDAR autofocus, and a lower price than its predecessor.
  • Acknowledgement of Hasselblad’s build quality and unique color science.
  • Discussion of how high-end camera pricing is influenced by tariffs and how Hasselblad’s new strategy under DJI is undercutting the medium format market.
  • Quote:
    “10 stops of IBIS is pretty unheard of in any camera…let alone a medium format.”
    — Marques Brownlee ([07:38])
  • Quote:
    "Everything about this camera is incredible...sample photos from this camera look so good."
    — David Imel ([11:03],[12:53])
  • The team pokes fun at “not buying” the camera, noting how gear FOMO drives impulse ("You're saying if I don't buy it now, it's going to get delayed?" — Marques at [14:47]).
  • Cost-per-shot math humor: "[That's] $7 a photo... Not too far off from what I pay for my film."
    — Marques Brownlee ([14:06])

3. Ricoh GR4 & Pocket Camera Inflation

• “Counterculture” Pocket Cameras ([16:06]–[22:02])
  • Contrasts the Ricoh GR series (new GR4) with the last “hype” camera, the Fujifilm X100V, noting the GR series' minimal pocketability but also lacking features vs. price jump ($1500).
  • Discussion of tariffs, pricing, and Ricoh’s cult status among street photographers.
  • Light-hearted guesses at what “GR” stands for, poking fun at the internet’s speculation:
    • "Great Rico–no, Grand Rico–or ‘Gazoo Racing’ if you want to be silly."
      — Multiple hosts ([18:58]–[19:16])

4. Fake Photos on Phone Demos & Camera Marketing

• Nothing Phone 3 “Community Photos” Scandal ([23:33]–[27:21])
  • The crew discusses Nothing’s display of stock images as “community captured” photos in demo units—images actually shot on professional cameras and purchased from stock sites.
  • Commentary on rampant “sample image” fakery in the industry and the easy sleuthing via reverse image search.
  • Anecdote: Marques once caught CNET using his video footage as b-roll placeholder ([26:06]).
  • Broader discussion of phone camera marketing and how most "flagship" differences are now increasingly subtle for casual buyers, with only enthusiasts noticing image processing distinctions ([27:21]–[30:21]).
  • Quote:
    “Are we in the era where there's no point in posting smartphone sample images and being like...?”
    — Ellis Robin ([27:21])

5. Smartphones & Pro Camera Claims

• Camera Quality, Marketing, and Practicality
  • A nuanced take: Companies tout pro camera features, but what matters for "pros" is usability for real work (e.g., redundancy, fast menus, and reliability)—not just maximum specs.
    • "It doesn't matter what golf clubs I use, I'm never gonna beat Tiger."
      — Marques Brownlee ([30:04])
    • “What makes gear truly professional…is not necessarily the total quality of media output. It's features that are really specific to doing it as a job.”
      — Ellis Robin ([31:01])

6. In-Depth: Google Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro

• Hands-on Impressions ([39:17]–[59:35])
  • General UX: Google’s “QI2” (MagSafe compatible) feature is a huge win for Android users with MagSafe accessories.
  • Mixed praise/critique of Pixel 10 Pro:
    • Performance: Battery life is “good to great,” but GPU at high resolution is underwhelming for a new phone ([43:53]–[44:06]).
    • "The Pixel is now the iPhone of Android. Everything is parity, more clearly than ever."
      — David Imel ([53:18])
  • Magic Q (contextual AI replies in Messages) is promising but inconsistent, often pulling wrong data (“...if you had an assistant and said 'when is my trip next week?' and they said 'you’re driving to the studio tomorrow morning'—that would be a horrible response.” — Marques at [51:13]).
  • Conversational AI photo editing is “shockingly good”—an example where on-device AI shines for real users ([52:07]–[53:11]).
  • Cameras: The wide lens is excellent; telephoto and zoom disappoint versus flagship competition (“If you care about zoom, the Pixel is going to be a letdown... normal wides look really good.” — Marques [55:44]–[56:06]).

7. Apple iPhone Event Invitation: Predictions and Theories

• Analyzing the 2025 iPhone Event Art ([60:43]–[68:04])
  • Hyper-detailed speculations based on Apple’s invite, which features a rainbow-colored, liquid-glass “heat map” Apple logo atop an iPhone.
  • Theories include: thermal camera, temperature sensor, vapor chamber cooling for the first time, new colorways, and ultra-thin “Air” model.
    • "Jaw-dropping" = "Awe-dropping" = super thin design?
      — ChatGPT speculation via Marques ([65:26])
  • Team jokes about Apple’s event teasers and the tradition of over-interpreting every detail.

8. Apple and AI Rumors

• Gemini AI, Siri, and Industry Dynamics ([69:45]–[77:04])
  • Rumors: Apple might use Google’s Gemini AI model to power the next-gen Siri, raising big privacy and ecosystem questions.
  • The hosts discuss whether Apple is behind in generative AI and if they'd turn to Google or Anthropic to catch up.
    • “How did they announce this a year and a half ago when they were this far behind?”
      — David Imel ([71:19])
    • "What is the future of people talking to LLMs? Should you be actively switching between models, or should there just be your model?"
      — Marques ([72:11])
  • Recap of recent Apple research, hinting the company is wary of overpromising what current AI can do.

9. YouTube Hype Feature & Indie Game Delays

• YouTube “Hype” for Small Creators ([87:12]–[90:47])
  • Andrew explains YouTube’s new 'hype' feature (limited to channels between 500 and 500,000 subs), how it works, and the initial pros and cons.
    • "It's supposed to help boost videos of smaller creators… more points if you hype a smaller channel."
      — Andrew Liszewski ([89:17])
    • Side note: You can even pay to “hype” a video for more points, but crew suggests supporting via Patreon instead ([90:04]).
• Indie Games Hold for Hollow Knight Silksong ([81:46]–[86:58])
  • Fun tangent on how the highly-anticipated game "Hollow Knight: Silksong" prompted other game devs to delay their launches—drawing a parallel to how tech companies avoid Apple event weeks.
  • “People also do this with Taylor Swift…when they know she’s dropping.”
    — David Imel ([83:45])

10. Trivia & Podcast Fun

• Trivia Highlights ([91:12]–[94:29])
  • Q1: Farthest place from Gothenburg a Hasselblad camera has taken a picture? The Moon.
  • Q2: In what year did YouTube remove all existing annotations? January 2019.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "You're losing money if you don't [shoot enough photos with a Hasselblad]."
  — Andrew Liszewski ([14:14])
• On smartphone camera samples:
  “Every single camera manufacturer company ever...post[s] the pictures [that] are unobtainable images to all of the people buying it.”
  — Andrew Liszewski ([32:24])
• On Apple AI strategy:
  "Apple doesn't have a lot to gain on hyping up the technology, especially because of how behind they are."
  — David Imel ([75:40])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• French Dub Video Fail – [02:29]–[04:42]
• Hasselblad X2D Mark 2 Discussion – [04:46]–[16:06]
• Ricoh GR4 & Pocket Cameras – [16:06]–[22:02]
• Nothing Phone 3 Fake Photos Scandal – [23:33]–[27:21]
• Smartphone Camera Marketing Analysis – [27:21]–[33:28]
• Google Pixel 10 Review – [39:17]–[59:35]
• Apple iPhone Event Invite Theorizing – [60:43]–[68:04]
• Apple x Gemini AI Rumor – [69:45]–[77:04]
• Indie Game Delay for Silksong – [81:46]–[86:58]
• YouTube Hype Feature – [87:12]–[90:47]
• Trivia – [91:12]–[94:29]

Tone & Language

This episode maintains the MKBHD Podcast’s signature blend of energetic, geeky enthusiasm and self-aware tech skepticism. The hosts are candid, sardonic, and love side tangents. Tech takes are balanced between admiration for innovation and eye-rolling at marketing gimmicks, with frequent inside jokes, meme references, and a readiness to call out hype—whether in camera specs or AI.