Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

EXCLUSIVE: Lots of Drama Around OnePlus

January 23, 2026

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  • OpenAI is introducing ads into the free and lower-cost ChatGPT tiers, despite previous assurances from Sam Altman that ads were a 'last resort,' sparking concerns about potential result manipulation. 
  • Nova Launcher, a historically beloved Android customization tool, has been acquired by Instabridge, leading to the introduction of ad tracking and a paid Prime tier, signaling the end of its community-focused era. 
  • The hosts discussed the recent, largely unverified rumors suggesting OnePlus was being dismantled, concluding that while the brand's early enthusiast appeal has faded, the company is officially denying shutdown claims. 
  • Verizon issued a $20 credit to customers following a widespread service outage, prompting discussion on the appropriateness of compensation for service disruptions. 
  • YouTube's CEO, Neal Mohan, released a State of the Union letter emphasizing creator businesses, safety for kids (including a new Shorts timer control), and plans to integrate dynamic, view-count-limited baked-in ads. 
  • YouTube is developing tools to allow creators to use their own likeness for AI-generated Shorts, while simultaneously claiming to combat low-quality AI 'slop' content. 

Segments

Netflix Live Voting Feature
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(00:01:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Netflix is implementing a live voting feature accessible via mobile app or TV remote, reminiscent of older reality TV voting methods.
  • Summary: Netflix is introducing live voting for its content, similar to systems used by shows like American Idol. Participation can occur through the mobile app or the TV remote interface. The hosts expressed skepticism regarding Netflix’s ability to execute live streaming reliably, citing past failures with live events like the Love is Blind reunion.
OpenAI Ads and Business Model
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(00:06:10)
  • Key Takeaway: OpenAI is adding ads to the free and lower-cost ChatGPT tiers, requiring advertisers to commit a minimum of one million dollars.
  • Summary: OpenAI is expanding its lower-cost ‘Go’ tier and simultaneously introducing ads, contradicting Sam Altman’s past statements calling ads a ’last resort.’ The initial ad example shows sponsored ingredient suggestions alongside recipe responses, raising concerns about future result manipulation for higher ad revenue. Google DeepMind’s CEO publicly stated they have no plans for ads in Gemini, contrasting OpenAI’s revenue-driven move.
Nova Launcher Ad Tracking
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(00:14:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Nova Launcher, after multiple acquisitions and layoffs, has integrated Facebook and Google ad tracking code into its application.
  • Summary: Nova Launcher was acquired by Branch in 2022, leading to significant layoffs, and was recently acquired again by Instabridge in 2024. The new owner plans to introduce ads for sustainability, though the paid Nova Prime tier ($3.99) will remain ad-free. The integration of ad tracking code confirms a significant shift away from the launcher’s previous clean, community-focused ethos.
Sony TCL TV Venture
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(00:18:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Sony and TCL are forming a joint venture where Sony will hold 49% ownership to potentially manufacture cheaper Bravia TVs using Sony’s image pipeline.
  • Summary: Sony and TCL have signed a memorandum of understanding to create a new venture, with TCL holding the majority 51% stake. This partnership could result in significantly cheaper Sony Bravia TVs by utilizing TCL’s manufacturing capabilities while leveraging Sony’s proprietary SOC and image processing technology. The new company is not expected to be fully operational until April 2027, pending regulatory approval.
Threads Global Ad Rollout
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(00:23:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Threads is rolling out advertisements globally starting next week, though initial ad delivery volume is expected to remain low.
  • Summary: Meta’s Threads platform is commencing its global ad rollout next week, following earlier slow rollouts. The platform has reportedly overtaken X (formerly Twitter) in mobile usage metrics, though total activity remains lower. The hosts noted that the rapid implementation of ads suggests Meta views Threads as already dominant enough to monetize.
OnePlus Drama and History
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(00:33:14)
  • Key Takeaway: OnePlus officially refuted rumors of its dismantling, which stemmed from a poorly sourced, AI-assisted article that aggregated existing negative trends about the brand.
  • Summary: The drama originated from an Android Headlines article titled ‘Exclusive: OnePlus is Being Dismantled,’ which was later admitted to using AI for structure and initially featured an incorrect author byline. OnePlus India issued a statement confirming operations continue normally, refuting the claims of shutdown. The hosts reminisced about OnePlus’s peak era, citing the OnePlus 1 and the 7T series as high points before the brand shifted toward becoming a more conventional, less enthusiast-focused flagship.
Trivia Segment
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(00:52:40)
  • Key Takeaway: The first episode of American Idol aired in June 2002, prompting a trivia question about Ellis’s birth month.
  • Summary: The trivia question centered on the premiere date of American Idol (June 2002) and its relation to Ellis Rovin’s birthday. The hosts briefly discussed the history of Google Stadia’s rapid release and cancellation as a comparison point for quick failure. Marques shared the evolution of his OnePlus review titles, noting the shift from ‘Flagship Killer’ to ‘Finally a Flagship’ titles.
Birthday Coincidence Anecdote
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(00:53:53)
  • Key Takeaway: One host’s father shares the exact same birthday and birth year, despite the host being premature.
  • Summary: One host shared a surprising coincidence where their father was born on the exact same day and year, even though the host was premature and not expected to be born near that date. The hosts joked about the implication of them being ‘clones.’ This anecdote served as a brief personal interlude before returning to tech topics.
Verizon Outage Compensation
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(00:55:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Verizon provided a $20 credit to all customers affected by a recent service outage lasting several hours.
  • Summary: Verizon experienced a significant service outage across the US for several hours, which was confirmed by widespread reports and memes on Threads. The company offered a $20 credit to affected customers, which the hosts debated as being an appropriate, though arbitrary, compensation for the inconvenience. This was contrasted with other services like Comcast or YouTube, where service outages rarely result in direct customer compensation.
YouTube State of the Union
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(00:59:28)
  • Key Takeaway: YouTube’s annual letter confirmed the platform’s massive scale, the stability of the creator economy on YouTube, and new features for parents and creators.
  • Summary: The CEO’s letter reaffirmed YouTube’s status as an enormous platform where creators operate stable businesses, unlike more volatile platforms. A key focus was making YouTube safer for children, noting that 79% of US teachers who use the platform agree it aids student learning. A parental control feature allowing the setting of the Shorts scrolling timer to zero was highlighted as a new tool.
Dynamic Baked-In Ad Tool
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(01:04:50)
  • Key Takeaway: YouTube is developing a tool allowing creators to insert baked-in ads that can dynamically disappear after reaching a set view count.
  • Summary: This new tool would allow sponsors to pay for an ad’s visibility only for the first X number of views, potentially enabling creators to secure sponsorships that might otherwise be too expensive for smaller view counts. The hosts worried this could lower overall sponsorship rates but acknowledged it could also allow for multiple, sequentially appearing sponsors within one video. A major concern raised is that such dynamic insertions will likely break existing video chapter functionality.
AI Tools and Slop Combatting
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(01:16:07)
  • Key Takeaway: YouTube plans to simultaneously expand AI creation tools while actively deploying systems to combat low-quality AI-generated ‘slop’ content.
  • Summary: YouTube intends to continue offering AI creation tools while building systems to reduce the spread of low-quality AI content, a seemingly contradictory approach. A specific upcoming tool will allow creators to use their own likeness and voice to generate AI Shorts, which the hosts found fascinating but potentially problematic. The hosts stressed that this likeness feature must be an opt-in for creators.
Chapter UI Neglect
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(01:18:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Despite YouTube’s advancements in dynamic ads, the platform still forces creators to manually format timestamps in the description to create video chapters.
  • Summary: The hosts expressed frustration that chapters still require manual formatting in the description, a method identical to how video corrections/annotations are added without a dedicated UI element. This lack of a built-in UI for chapters is seen as a major oversight, especially when compared to the development of complex dynamic ad insertion technology. The manual process for chapters and corrections is noted as being non-intuitive for users.
Trivia Segment
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(01:19:32)
  • Key Takeaway: The trivia segment revealed that the lifespan of Google Stadia (38 months) was shorter than the time elapsed between Sam Altman’s initial anti-ad statement (May 2024) and its widespread reporting (October 2024).
  • Summary: The first trivia question compared the lifespan of Google Stadia (November 2019 to January 2023, 38 months) against the timeline of Sam Altman’s statements regarding ads in ChatGPT. The hosts noted that Ellis’s age calculation for American Idol was off by a few months due to not accounting for his July birthday. The score update showed Andrew leading, followed by David, and Marquez trailing.