Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

Goodbye Windows 10, Hello Apple M5 Chip!

October 17, 2025

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  • The hosts discussed the functionality and mixed reception of YouTube's new Collab feature, noting that collaborator videos appear in subscribers' feeds. 
  • The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max was highlighted as a technically impressive, yet heavily iPhone-derivative device featuring a secondary rear display and high-end specs at a competitive price point. 
  • Apple announced the M5 chip across the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, the new iPad Pro, and the Vision Pro, with the M5 emphasizing GPU and on-device AI performance improvements. 
  • A significant portion of Windows users (40% overall, 30% of PC gamers) still use Windows 10, largely due to Windows 11's strict hardware requirements hindering enterprise upgrades. 
  • The end-of-support for Windows 10 is complicated by optional, paid extended security updates, and many legacy enterprise systems remain on older OS versions like XP due to hardware compatibility or data sensitivity. 
  • The Honor concept phone featuring a built-in, motorized gimbal camera sensor highlights ongoing hardware experimentation in the Android space, contrasting with the perceived lack of similar hardware innovation from US manufacturers. 

Segments

YouTube Collab Feature Testing
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(00:03:35)
  • Key Takeaway: YouTube Collab feature allows multiple creators to share a single video, which appears in collaborators’ subscription feeds.
  • Summary: When a creator is added as a collaborator, their audience can see the video in their recommended feed and subscription box. The hosts noted that adding Waveform as a collaborator to MKBHD content resulted in negative feedback from subscribers unfamiliar with the podcast. This feature allows collaborators to share analytics for the joint upload.
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max Review
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(00:08:58)
  • Key Takeaway: The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is a highly capable device priced around $850 equivalent in China, featuring a 7,500mAh battery and a secondary rear display.
  • Summary: The phone heavily mimics the design language of the latest iPhones, including the camera bump shape and software cues like the Dynamic Island clone. Key hardware advantages over the iPhone include 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and a 120Hz OLED rear display. The software, Hyper OS, features many stock apps that closely resemble Apple’s native applications.
Honor Magic OS X Clones Apple
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(00:15:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Honor’s upcoming Magic OS X operating system heavily copies Apple’s Liquid Glass design language, including near-identical animations for features like Airdrop.
  • Summary: The teaser for Magic OS X showcased transparent icons, liquid-like warping effects, and specific visual elements that directly mirror Apple’s design language. The hosts suggested that Chinese manufacturers often copy dominant designs to make potential customers feel more comfortable switching platforms. This blatant copying is seen as potentially alienating users who prefer the original aesthetic.
Apple M5 Chip Announcements
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(00:19:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Apple released the M5 chip in the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, the new iPad Pro, and the Vision Pro, focusing improvements on the GPU and Neural Engine for AI.
  • Summary: The M5 replaces the base M4 in the 14-inch MacBook Pro, which now boasts up to 24-hour battery life. The Vision Pro upgrade to M5 includes 10% more sharply rendered pixels and an increased refresh rate up to 120Hz. Apple also introduced a new, more comfortable Dual Knit Band for the Vision Pro, priced at $99, which resolves earlier weight distribution issues.
Netflix Acquires Spotify Video Podcasts
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(00:39:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Netflix is adding 16 Spotify-owned video podcasts to its platform, likely as a strategy to compete with YouTube’s dominance in TV-based content viewing.
  • Summary: These are Spotify-exclusive video podcasts, and the deal reportedly prevents their full episodes from appearing on YouTube. This move allows Netflix to acquire ready-made content that caters to lower cognitive load viewing, a space YouTube currently dominates. Spotify benefits from increased distribution on TV screens, a platform where Spotify currently lacks native support.
Samsung XR Headset Details
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(00:46:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Samsung is set to reveal more details about its Android XR headset, Project Muhan, despite the Vision Pro headset being perceived as a flop.
  • Summary: The announcement is seen as a reaction to Apple’s M5 Vision Pro reveal, suggesting companies fear missing the next major computing wave. The headset is expected to feature Android/Gemini-based gestures and controls, similar to an Android tablet experience. The timing suggests Samsung is heavily invested in the headset future, even as the market leader’s product struggles.
Windows 10 End of Support
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(00:49:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10 after 10 years, though 40% of Windows users still run the older OS, often due to hardware compatibility issues with Windows 11.
  • Summary: Windows 10 was considered by the hosts to be a superior operating system compared to Windows 11. The mandatory hardware requirements for Windows 11 prevent many enterprise and business users from upgrading easily. Historically, organizations like government offices have kept older operating systems like Windows XP running for extended periods due to software compatibility concerns.
Windows 10 End of Life
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(00:50:17)
  • Key Takeaway: 40% of Windows users still rely on Windows 10 due to hardware limitations for Windows 11.
  • Summary: Forty percent of current Windows users are still on Windows 10, with 30% of PC gamers remaining on the older OS. The transition to Windows 11 is often blocked by hardware requirements, especially in enterprise environments where systems are kept on old OS versions for compatibility or longevity. Microsoft is offering paid extended security support for Windows 10 users, confusingly structured differently between the US and Europe.
Old OS Persistence Anecdotes
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(00:51:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Enterprise environments frequently maintain extremely old operating systems like Windows XP for stability and compatibility with specialized hardware.
  • Summary: Windows XP was famously bulletproof, leading some companies to run it years after support ended. One host recalled a 2015 workplace still using XP on 20% of computers due to compatibility concerns. Specialized equipment, such as medical machinery or industrial robots, often mandates running specific, older operating systems like Windows XP or macOS High Sierra.
Windows OS Cycle History
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(00:52:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The perceived quality of Windows operating systems follows a pattern: 2000 (Solid), XP (Good), Vista (Bad), 7 (Good), 8 (Bad), 8.1 (Good), 10 (Bad).
  • Summary: The hosts outlined a perceived cycle of quality in Windows releases, starting with Windows 2000 being solid. Vista was considered bad, followed by the good Windows 7, then the bad Windows 8 redeemed by 8.1. This pattern suggests a historical tendency for alternating success in major OS releases.
Windows AI Teaser Speculation
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(00:57:35)
  • Key Takeaway: Microsoft teased an AI-related announcement, leading to speculation that the return of the nostalgic but often disliked Clippy character could improve AI acceptance.
  • Summary: Windows posted a teaser hinting at a major announcement involving AI, possibly related to voice interaction. The hosts suggested that bringing back Clippy, despite its original flaws, might make a new AI assistant more endearing and accepted than the current Copilot interface. Anthropomorphizing bad AI via a friendly face like Clippy could be the key to public adoption.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold Durability Test
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(01:02:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The Pixel 10 Pro Fold exploded during a JerryRigEverything durability test when the battery was punctured near an antenna line.
  • Summary: The Pixel 10 Pro Fold failed Zach’s durability test when the battery experienced thermal runaway after being punctured during a fold. The failure point was suspected to be near the antenna line, which has been a weak spot on previous foldables, causing a short circuit. While this specific event was likely a freak accident caused by extreme testing, the phone also showed dust ingress into the hinge and a recessed microphone design.
Honor Gimbal Camera Concept
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(01:11:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Honor revealed a concept phone integrating a DJI Osmo Pocket-style gimbal camera as a main sensor for superior stabilization.
  • Summary: Honor’s concept phone features a built-in, hyper-stabilized gimbal camera that pops up from the plateau, similar to a DJI Osmo Pocket. This design attempts to solve the issue of users still preferring dedicated action cameras over built-in phone sensors for high-quality, stabilized footage. The feasibility hinges on shrinking the gimbal technology to fit within a reasonably sized phone chassis.
Trivia and Episode Wrap-up
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(01:16:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Xiaomi’s official mascot is a white rabbit named Meitu, which means ‘Me Too,’ highlighting a lack of hardware experimentation from US manufacturers.
  • Summary: Two legendary Windows software pieces, Internet Explorer (hidden but accessible via Edge’s mode) and Pinball, were noted as being removed or deprecated in Windows 11. Xiaomi’s mascot is a white rabbit named Meitu, which ironically means ‘Me Too.’ The lack of experimental hardware concepts like the Honor gimbal phone in the US market is attributed to low competition among domestic manufacturers.