The Vergecast

The Vergecast is the flagship podcast from The Verge about small gadgets, Big Tech, and everything in between. Every Friday, hosts Nilay Patel and David Pierce hang out and make sense of the week’s most important technology news. And every Tuesday, David leads a selection of The Verge’s expert staffers in an exploration of how gadgets and software affect our lives – and which ones you should bring into yours.
Website : https://www.theverge.com/the-vergecast
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Last Episode : May 30, 2025 9:00am
Last Scanned : 4.2 hours ago



Episodes
Episodes currently hosted on IPFS.
Confirmed 2
Can a redesign save Apple's software?It's a slowish news week ahead of some very busy news weeks, so of course Nilay and David start the show with a long discussion about party speakers. Eventually, they get into the news, beginning with some of the huge Apple redesigns planned for WWDC in June. For the first time in a long time, the stakes for Apple's software teams feel really high. After that, the hosts talk about Nilay's recent interview with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and what the AI-ification of everything means for the future of the web. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for another Brendan Carr is a Dummy, plus some talk about the Nintendo Switch 2, a bit of confusing tariff news, and more.
Further reading:
Graduation and prom season in full force, Alan sends a graduation procession with a party speaker on… her head?
So so many softball and baseball games, Luis tips us to the Yankees
Incredible at a dentist office from Oktawian
Apple is reportedly going to rename all of its operating systems
Apple is ready to replace Game Center with a more Xbox-like gaming app
Get ready for Apple’s glassy operating systems overhaul.
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
The New York Times’ first generative AI deal is with Amazon
The Browser Company explains why it stopped developing Arc
The plan for nationwide fiber internet might be upended for Starlink
FCC Commissioner Labels Trump Push to Chill Speech an ‘Administration-Wide Effort’
Carr's attack on Ergen looks gross
Shut Down the Federal Communications Commission
With the Switch, technology finally caught up to Nintendo
Nintendo’s bold new era is full of safe bets
The Nintendo Switch was an indie game haven, until it was overrun with slop
The Nintendo Switch 2 sure seems to work just fine with a USB mouse
There’s a Switch 2 unboxing video already.
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Expires in 47 hours
Published Friday
Inside the Meta monopoly trial
After more than a month of testimony, the Meta antirust trial is beginning to slow down. The Google search remedies trial, meanwhile, is about to heat up again, with closing arguments coming soon. The Verge’s Lauren Feiner has been in the DC courthouse for all of it, and has finally emerged to tell us about what she’s seen, and learned, from two all-important monopoly trials. After that, The Verge’s Victoria Song tells us about her latest experience with Google’s smart glasses prototypes, what Google is doing differently from Meta and Apple, and what she thinks Jony Ive and OpenAI might be building. Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline about what to do now that Mozilla is shutting down Pocket.
FTC v. Meta: The antitrust battle over WhatsApp and Instagram
Did WhatsApp really need Meta?
Why the FTC argues Meta is a closer rival to MeWe than TikTok
Instagram CEO testifies about competing with TikTok: ‘You’re either growing, or you’re slowly dying’
Android XR is getting stylish partners in Warby Parker, Gentle Monster
Xreal teases Project Aura smart glasses for Android XR
We tried on Google’s prototype AI smart glasses
Android XR and Project Moohan hands-on: Gemini is the killer app
Mozilla is shutting down Pocket
Raindrop.io
Instapaper
Matter
Wallabag
Readwise Reader
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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Published Tuesday
OpenAI and Jony Ive's AI super-gadget
Bad news if you don't care about AI: this week was absolutely chock-full of AI news. First, Nilay, David, and The Verge's Alex Heath talk about the news that OpenAI and Jony Ive are teaming up to build... something. A gadget, for sure, maybe lots of gadgets. We don't know much, but we have a lot of thoughts, and a lot of questions. After that, the hosts talk through all the news at Google I/O, including what's new with Gemini, Google Search, Project Astra, Project Mariner, and the countless other ways Google is putting AI absolutely everywhere. Finally, in the lightning round, we buckle up for another round of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, talk through some late-breaking Apple gadget news, and marvel over the future of conference calls.
Further reading:
OpenAI is buying Jony Ive’s AI hardware company
From The Wall Street Journal: What Sam Altman Told OpenAI About the Secret Device He’s Making With Jony Ive
Details leak about Jony Ive’s new ‘screen-free’ OpenAI device
Jony Ive says Rabbit and Humane made bad products
The 15 biggest announcements at Google I/O 2025
Google launches AI Mode to everyone in the US, adds more features to AI Overviews
Google’s 3D video calling tech is finally going to ship this year
Project Astra 2025: Google’s universal AI assistant is now smarter and more proactive
Google has a new tool just for making AI videos
Google reveals $250 per month ‘AI Ultra’ plan
Google Meet can translate what you say into other languages
Google’s Gemini AI is coming to Chrome
Google says its new image AI can actually spell
Google will let you ‘try on’ clothes with AI
Google is bringing an ‘Agent Mode’ to the Gemini app
We tried on Google’s prototype AI smart glasses
Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott on the birth of the agentic web
Microsoft’s plan to fix the web: letting every website run AI search for cheap
Google rejected giving publishers more choice to opt out of AI Search
Google is stuffing even more ads into its AI results
Google’s Gemini AI is coming to Chrome
Google reveals $250 per month ‘AI Ultra’ plan
FCC Chairman Carr seeks to designate NBC equal time issue for hearing
FCC approves Verizon’s $20 billion merger after it commits to ‘ending’ DEI
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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Published 05/23
The Razr Ultra proves flip phones are almost ready
Kids these days, you know? They love the '90s, they want everything to be colorful and bold and bouncy, and they really, truly love Snapchat. And the tech world is listening. On this episode, The Verge's Allison Johnson joins to talk about her review of the new Razr Ultra, the new-look Android 16, and why she thinks we're getting ever closer to a true flip phone resurgence. (Also: why we're not quite there yet.) After that, The Verge's Alex Heath explains what's going on with Snapchat, and how it's possible that the app is more popular than ever but still can't figure out how to cash in. It all makes us wonder: is there a business in chat at all? Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about a possible outcome for Chrome after the Google search trial ends.
Further reading:
Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) review: looking sharp
The best folding phones you can buy
Android’s youthful new design language just dropped
Snapchat scraps ‘simple’ redesign as it loses users in North America
Zuckerberg offered to buy Snapchat for $6 billion.
Evan Spiegel explains why Snap is betting on Spectacles
Breaking down the DOJ’s plan to end Google’s search monopoly
Why are companies lining up to buy Chrome?
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Published 05/20
HBO's no good very bad rebrand
Names are hard — but they don't have to be this hard. Nilay, David, and The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes start the show with some personal news, before digging into the monumentally silly thinking behind Warner Bros. Discovery re-re-naming its streaming service HBO Max. After that, and some more streaming news, we turn our attention to the gadget news of the week, including the long-awaited release of CarPlay Ultra and the latest announcements from the Android team at Google. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, some debate on the future of Airbnb, and a brief party speaker update. Because the mystery continues.
Further reading:
It’s not Max, it’s HBO Max
Max was an all-time bad rebrand
How HBO’s creatives survived corporate chaos
ESPN’s standalone streaming app launches this fall for $30 a month
Fox One streaming service will arrive just in time for football season
Netflix’s ad tier is growing really fast — and that means more ads
Netflix is bringing back Star Search as a live show
YouTube will stream an opening week NFL game for free
Peacock’s NBA coverage will add an overlay with live shot stats
Apple’s CarPlay Ultra is finally here, if you have a new Aston Martin
Apple’s fancy new CarPlay will only work wirelessly
Android 16 Material Three Expressive UI coming in beta this month
Google’s splashy new Android UI is coming in beta this month.
It’s Dieter!
Warner Bros. is launching a cinematic universe for brands
Here's How NBCU Is Integrating Brand Sponsors for SNL50
FCC threatens EchoStar licenses for spectrum that SpaceX wants to use
Airbnb’s new app has all of your vacation extras in one place
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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Published 05/16
A buggy Sonos mystery
The Verge's Will Poor recently came home from vacation and discovered he had an insect problem. More specifically, his Sonos speaker had an insect problem. Will brings us the story of what really happened there, and what he discovered about how the animal kingdom — and the electronics world — works. After that, The Verge's Andru Marino tells us about his research on all things AI podcasts. He tells us why people are so hooked on NotebookLM's Audio Overviews, where these generated shows fall short, and what all us human podcasters could learn from the bots. Finally, The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy helps us answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) all about smart lights. Which get complicated faster than you think.
Further reading:
Oh no, Google is turning everything into a podcast
Google’s NotebookLM AI podcasts add ‘interactive’ mode for some Q-and-A
Steven Johnson on Google, NotebookLM, and AI research
A guide to getting started with smart lighting: When to use smart switches and smart bulbs
Inovelli smart switches
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Published 05/13
Why Apple is trying to save Google
Where will Meta, Apple, and Google be three years from now? It's starting to look like they might all be very different. Nilay, David, and The Verge's Richard Lawler start the show with Eddy Cue's testimony in the Google search trial, in which Cue argued that AI is taking over — and that Google should be allowed to keep paying Apple gobs of money. The hosts also chat about the latest in the Meta trials, and how the recent Apple ruling is already changing the App Store. Then, there are some gadgets to talk about: the panopticon-slash-killer-app coming for Meta's smart glasses, the new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, and a lot of new iPhones. In the lightning round, we do another round of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, then talk about some new Netflix designs and the latest in our worldwide hunt for party speakers.
Further reading:
Eddy Cue is fighting to save Apple’s $20 billion paycheck from Google
Apple’s Eddy Cue: ‘You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now’
Google searches are falling in Safari for the first time ever — probably because of AI
Google's statement about Search traffic
Apple is looking at adding Perplexity and other AI search engines to Safari
Amazon now has a ‘Get book’ button in its iOS Kindle app
Epic will use an EU account to bring Fortnite back to the US App Store
Patreon’s iOS update allows creators to bypass in-app purchases
Apple is trying to halt the App Store ruling.
Apple files appeal to wrest back control of its App Store
A new bill would force Apple to allow third-party app storesDOJ’s proposed Google changes would ‘deeply undermine user trust,’ search chief says
Firefox could be doomed without Google search deal, says executive
DOJ asks court to split up Google’s ad tech empire
Threads was originally going to live inside the Instagram app | The Verge
Instagram doesn’t want to be a ‘lean-back experience.’ | The Verge
‘TikTok is probably the fiercest competition that we have faced.’ | The Verge
Instagram has spent up to $700 million in a year to lure creators.
Mosseri calls the first version of Reels his ‘biggest mistake.’ | The Verge
Meta’s new AI glasses could have a ‘super-sensing’ mode with facial recognition
Apple is planning smart glasses with and without AR
Apple ‘iPhone Air’ rumor suggests a bigger screen coming in 2027
Apple may stagger next year’s iPhones to make way for a foldable
Microsoft’s smaller Surface Pro has a 12-inch display and starts at $799
Microsoft shrinks its Surface Laptop down to 13 inches, priced at $899
Microsoft’s new Surface devices ditch magnetic charging port for USB-C
How Microsoft shrunk its Surface devices
Policing News, Policing DEI: The FCC’s Shifting Priorities Erode Its Credibility
OpenAI abandons plan to become a for-profit company
Netflix is getting a big TV revamp
Netflix will try a TikTok-like feed on its mobile app
I put four robot lawnmowers through a brutal backyard battle
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Published 05/09
The AI wearables are always listening
The Verge’s Victoria Song joins the show to talk about a new genre of gadget, which both she and David have been testing a lot: the AI-powered, always-on voice recorder. Vee shares what she’s learned from devices like Bee, and why it’s going to be so hard for AI to figure out what really matters in our lives. After that, The Verge’s Nathan Edwards and keyboard maker Ryan Norbauer tell the story of the Seneca, a $3,600 keyboard that Norbauer built to his own incredibly exacting specifications. They tell David about what it really takes to make a great keyboard, and why making one is worth the effort. Finally, in the lightning round (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!), we answer a couple of questions about the future of Chrome.
Further reading:
Bee review: I outsourced my memory to AI and all I got was fanfiction
The Plaude NotePin is a great AI voice recorder, and it’s totally doomed
Friend: a new digital companion for the AI age
The Norbauer Seneca
The $3,600 keyboard that’s optimized for joy.
Why are companies lining up to buy Chrome?
Sundar Pichai says the DOJ’s antitrust plan could kill Google Search
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Published 05/06
How Apple lost control of the App Store
Everywhere you look, antitrust fights have the potential to reshape the tech industry. Nilay, David, and The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes start by digging into the latest ruling in the Apple / Epic trial, in which a furious judge rips open the App Store in a way Apple likely never saw coming. The way we pay for apps is about to change, and fast. After that, it's time for an update on the Google and Meta trials, as Google tries to preserve its search empire and Meta tries to make the case that basically every company on the web is its vicious competitor. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for another installment of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, plus some notes on this week's Worldcoin launch and the strange new Meta AI app. Also: party speakers. Always party speakers.
Further reading:
A judge just blew up Apple’s control of the App Store
‘Cook chose poorly’: how Apple blew up its control over the App Store
The future of the App Store depends on the difference between a ‘button’ and an ‘external link’
Apple must allow other forms of in-app purchase, rules judge in Epic v. Apple
Apple exec ‘outright lied’ during Epic trial
Apple confirms it will appeal the App Store order.
Epic says Fortnite is coming back to iOS in the US
Sundar Pichai says the DOJ’s antitrust plan could kill Google Search
Google confirms it’s close to getting Gemini support on iPhones
The TikTok ban is back in court — in Meta’s antitrust trial
TikTok’s head of operations takes the stand.
Reels isn’t Instagram’s ‘core’ experience.
TikTok doesn’t compete with Meta for ‘personal social networking.’
TikTok’s legal entanglements collide.
The TikTok ban makes another cameo.
TikTok’s friends tab is not exactly a hit.
TikTok and Reels are ‘indistinguishable.’
Are YouTube and Instagram the top competitors for TikTok?
TikTok predicted Instagram would redesign its app to focus on Reels.
Meta prepared for a ‘flood in traffic’ ahead of the TikTok ban.
Facebook execs worried Google would buy WhatsApp and make it ‘a cross-platform iMessage.’
Facebook worried most about Google or Apple buying WhatsApp.
Google had a ‘long shot’ chance of becoming competitive in social with WhatsApp.
Facebook exec worried about losing the business to mobile messaging apps.
‘I was really worried that this could become the end.’
‘This shit is getting scary.’
WhatsApp showed ‘absolutely no signs of morphing’ into a social app.
Facebook floated starting from scratch on messaging.
Facebook didn’t know how it would make money from WhatsApp.
Facebook didn’t fear WhatsApp becoming a social competitor.
Meta releases AI app to compete with ChatGPT
Brendan Carr congratulates himself
Brendan Carr’s FCC is an anti-consumer, rights-trampling harassment machine
Brendan Carr’s Bizarro World FCC
Sam Altman-backed Worldcoin cryptocurrency launches in the US
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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Published 05/02
The Slate Truck is a whole new kind of car
Sometimes you want more tech in your life — and sometimes you want a lot less. This episode is all about less. First, Tim Stevens joins the show to talk about his story about the Slate Truck, an ultra-minimal electric vehicle that has almost no features to speak of and yet still promises to reinvent the way we think about cars. After that, Casey Johnston tells us about her journey in managing her screen time. She has tips for how to get the most problematic apps of your phone, is a big proponent of a factory reset, and has seen first-hand what happens when you look at your devices just a little less. Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about whether there's a MacBook Air equivalent in the Windows world. The answer surprised us, and it might surprise you too.
Further reading:
The $20,000 American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen
Is this the antidote to America’s truck bloat problem?
From TechCrunch: Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos
Around the Next Bend on Substack
Slate is the American truck scene's Ctrl+Alt+Del moment
From She's a Beast: The DIY Dumbphone Method
Casey's book: A Physical Education
Framework Laptop 13 (2025) review: getting better with age
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Published 04/29
Everybody wants to buy Chrome
Some weeks, it just feels like everything is up in the air all at the same time. Nilay and David are joined by The Verge’s Jake Kastrenakes to talk about all the unrest, starting with the ever-changing tariff rules that are making gadgets hard to price, hard to find, and hard to bet on going forward. (Maybe that’s why it seems everyone on Earth tried to pre-order a Switch 2 this week.) After that, the hosts catch up on the Meta and Google antitrust trials happening this week, and try to figure out who might be interested in the internet’s most popular browser. Finally, in the lightning round, we talk Brendan Carr (who is a dummy), the wood-backed Motorola Razr Ultra, and the 20th anniversary of YouTube.
Further reading:
Nintendo Switch 2 preorders were a total mess — at first
Nintendo Switch 2 preorders are sold out everywhere
GameStop’s Switch 2 preorders started poorly, too
Auto industry tariffs are doing what now? 24 hours of White House confusion
Did Tim Cook finagle a special tariff deal? Senator Warren wants to know
The US hikes tariffs on solar products from Asia
DHL halts international deliveries to US consumers worth over $800
Game Boy clone maker Anbernic suspends all shipments to US
Ayn, like Anbernic, is pausing retro handheld shipments to the US.
Perplexity wants to buy Chrome if Google has to sell it
OpenAI tells judge it would buy Chrome from Google
Former DOJ antitrust chief says a Google break up will benefit the internet
Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom says Zuckerberg “saw us as a threat”
Instagram launches its CapCut clone, Edits
Threads adds more ads
Former Google exec testifies about the company’s attempt to buy WhatsApp.
Google’s antitrust trial begins with a fight over Chrome, money, and AI
Google is paying Samsung an ‘enormous sum’ to preinstall Gemini
Google reveals Gemini AI has 350 million monthly active users.
Apple and Meta hit with the EU’s first DMA antitrust fines
The EU isn’t happy with Apple’s tax on alternative app stores
Brendan Carr is a dummy
From Puck: David Ellison’s Carr Trouble
The Trump FCC’s Coercion Cartel
Motorola’s new Razr Ultra brings the wood back panel back
YouTube’s TV changes include a redesign and more multiview
YouTube is everything and everything is YouTube
20 years ago, the first videos uploaded to YouTube were short and swee
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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Published 04/25
How to keep your data safe when you travel
If you’re heading on vacation this summer, you’re going to want to listen to this. The Verge’s Gaby del Valle joins the show to explain how worried you need to be about your digital data when you cross borders, and what you can do to protect yourself. Even if you don’t think you have anything to hide, a little precaution goes a long way. After that, Puck’s Matt Belloni joins the show to explain why Apple, Amazon, Google, and other tech companies continue to pour money into the streaming business, when it seems so far removed from what those companies do well. (Spoiler alert: it’s fun to be friends with Ben Stiller.) Finally, we answer a hotline question about the Google Pixel’s ascent to “best Android phone for people who just want a phone.”
Oh, also: thanks to everyone who voted for us in the Webby Awards! We’ll know soon whether we won, but however it shakes out, we’re so grateful to everyone who voted for us.
Further reading:
Is it safe to travel to the United States with your phone right now?
DHS’s airport panopticon is getting people deported and detained
Trump says he wants to deport US citizens to El Salvador
Matt Belloni at Puck
The Town podcast
From Puck: How Long Can the Apple TV+ Experiment Sputter On? - Puck
Google Pixel 9A review: a midrange phone done right
Google Pixel 9 review: the phone that Android needs
Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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Published 04/22