Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

Marques Cancelled His Roadster

September 26, 2025

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  • The hosts began their preliminary discussion for the 2025 Smartphone Awards, noting that the iPhone 17 Pro Max significantly outsells all other models, capturing over half of D-Brand accessory orders. 
  • Marques canceled his paid reservation for the Tesla Roadster after eight years of waiting, highlighting the difficulty in canceling the order and the significant investment opportunity cost of the $50,000 deposit. 
  • The iFixit teardown revealed the thin iPhone Air has surprisingly good repairability, featuring dual entry points for repair and sharing an identical battery component with the MagSafe battery pack. 
  • The hosts are beginning their annual smartphone awards discussion for 2025, debating the criteria for categories like 'Best Small Phone' and 'Best Camera' (weighing photo vs. video heavily in favor of video). 
  • The discussion on 'Best Value' highlights the base iPhone 17 as a strong contender due to significant feature upgrades (like ProMotion and 256GB storage) compared to previous base models, despite its higher price point. 
  • The hosts anticipate several major, unreleased devices, such as the Samsung Trifold and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, will heavily influence the 'Best Foldable' and 'Phone of the Year' awards. 
  • The trivia segment involved confusion over the names of iFixit tools (spudger vs. guitar picks) and a pop culture question regarding the mannequin in the Tesla Roadster launched into space, which was named 'Starman' after a David Bowie song. 
  • Andrew conceded a point to Marques from a previous episode's trivia, resulting in a temporary score update of Marques at six points and Andrew at eight points, with David's score pending. 
  • The hosts noted that the conversation about the difficulty of riding horses versus driving F1 cars was so extensive that they cut an interview with James Cameron to accommodate it. 

Segments

Meta Event Debrief
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(00:01:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Meta’s live AI demo failures were caused by accidentally isolating all attendee Meta glasses to the same dev server, leading to a DDoS overload.
  • Summary: The live demo failures at the Meta event were attributed to an accidental network configuration error where all audience members’ glasses were routed to a single development server. This overload caused the live AI feature to fail during the demonstration. Marques noted that the actual smart glasses hardware is good, which is why initial reviews were positive before the event’s technical issues became apparent.
iPhone 17 Sales Data
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(00:05:25)
  • Key Takeaway: iPhone 17 Pro Max dominates sales, accounting for 56% of D-Brand accessory orders, while the base iPhone 17 Air only accounts for 5%.
  • Summary: D-Brand accessory order data shows that the Pro Max model is overwhelmingly preferred, making up over half of all iPhone accessory sales. The standard iPhone 17 and the new Air models represent a small fraction of orders combined. This trend is speculated to be driven by U.S. carrier deals incentivizing customers to choose the most expensive option.
iPhone Air Repairability Insights
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(00:09:57)
  • Key Takeaway: The iPhone Air achieved a 7/10 repairability score from iFixit, successfully implementing dual entry points (front or back glass) for component access.
  • Summary: Contrary to expectations that the thin iPhone Air would be difficult to repair, iFixit found it relatively accessible, scoring a 7 out of 10. The internal structure, including the battery placement, aids in structural integrity, preventing excessive bending. Furthermore, the battery inside the MagSafe battery pack is the exact same component used in the iPhone Air.
Tesla Roadster Reservation Cancellation
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(00:16:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Marques canceled his paid Tesla Roadster reservation, noting the process required a phone call and that the $50,000 deposit, if invested in Tesla stock eight years ago, would be worth approximately $747,000 today.
  • Summary: Marques canceled one of his two Roadster reservations, forfeiting the initial $5,000 deposit but expecting $45,000 back from the larger $50,000 payment. The process for cancellation was cumbersome, requiring a call to vehicle sales as no online cancel button existed. Despite the delays, Tesla executives continue to tease that the final Roadster specs will exceed the original 2017 promises.
Ceramic Keyboard Announcement
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(00:28:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Keychron announced the Q16HEs, the world’s first fully ceramic keyboard, raising concerns about its brittleness under tension and shearing forces.
  • Summary: Keychron is releasing a keyboard where both the keycaps and the case are made entirely of ceramic, which is known for being hard but brittle under tension. Ceramic materials resist acidic corrosion from finger oils but may be prone to cracking if the entire case structure is subjected to shearing forces. The ceramic keycaps produce a distinct, deeper sound profile compared to standard ABS plastic keycaps.
Podcast Clip Usage Concerns
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(00:36:32)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts requested that users clipping Waveform content for Shorts or TikToks provide credit or tag the podcast, especially when clips gain massive viewership without attribution.
  • Summary: The hosts noticed an increase in short-form content derived from the podcast, some reaching over 120 million views without any credit or links back to the official Waveform channels. They are fine with clips as long as proper attribution is given, contrasting this with unauthorized users who watermark the content and sell unrelated products.
Preliminary Smartphone Awards 2025
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(00:46:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The ‘Best Big Phone’ category will likely favor hypercar-spec Android flagships over the iPhone 17 Pro Max because iPhones do not push maximalist hardware specs like 200MP cameras or 100W charging.
  • Summary: The hosts initiated their annual, informal Smartphone Awards discussion, noting that the iPhone 17 Pro Max, while excellent, competes in a different tier than maximalist Android phones regarding raw specifications. The ‘Best Small Phone’ category remains challenging due to the shrinking size of standard flagships, though flip phones might qualify based on their closed-state dimensions.
Small Phone Contenders Review
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(00:55:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The HTC Wildfire E6, Doogee V Fire 3, and Nokia 150 Music are identified as current sub-six-inch phones.
  • Summary: The discussion reviewed several small phones, including the HTC Wildfire E6 (exactly 6-inch display, noted as an unusual release), the Doogee V Fire 3 (5.5-inch display on a rugged body), and the Nokia 150 Music (a feature phone with 8MB of RAM). The hosts also considered including the Light Phone and Minimal Phone in the small phone category for the awards.
Camera Award Criteria Debate
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(01:00:26)
  • Key Takeaway: The Best Camera award winner will likely be decided by a 50-50 weighting between photo and video performance, favoring the iPhone for video dominance.
  • Summary: The Best Camera award causes anxiety because of the photo versus video weighting debate, with Marques personally valuing video highly due to his professional work. The iPhone is considered the clear winner for video due to features like ProRes and Log recording. Honorable mentions will be used to acknowledge phones that excel specifically in still photography.
Best Value Phone Considerations
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(01:03:54)
  • Key Takeaway: The base iPhone 17 is a strong, albeit expensive, contender for Best Value due to its feature parity with higher-tier models, contrasting sharply with budget options like the CMF Phone 2 Pro.
  • Summary: The Best Value category, formerly Best Budget Phone, requires defining the price ceiling, with the previous winner being the $349 Nothing Phone 2A. The base iPhone 17 is noted for making the 16e look like a joke by including features like ProMotion and 256GB storage. Longevity and software update timelines are crucial factors in determining true value, favoring the iPhone over cheaper Android alternatives.
Best Battery Experience Criteria
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(01:08:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The Best Battery award prioritizes overall battery experience, aiming for a phone that allows the user to ’not think about their battery ever,’ with fast charging being a key component.
  • Summary: The ideal battery experience means ending the day with significant charge remaining, not just having the longest raw battery life. Last year’s winner, the Red Magic 10 Pro, set a high benchmark with a 7,050 mAh battery and 100W charging. The OnePlus 13 is a strong current contender, featuring a 6,000 mAh battery with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging.
Best Design Subjectivity and Contenders
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(01:12:13)
  • Key Takeaway: The Best Design award is highly subjective, with thin, unique form factors like the Edge and Air standing out against the previous year’s winner, the Huawei Mate X5 triple fold.
  • Summary: The Best Design award is entirely subjective, shifting from the previous ‘Best Build Quality’ category. The ultra-thin Edge and Air iPhones are noted for their striking physical feel, with the Air being lighter (165g vs. 163g for the Edge, though the Edge has better specs for its thickness). The Nothing Phone 3’s back screen design received significant pushback, potentially disqualifying it.
Best Foldable Landscape Overview
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(01:16:44)
  • Key Takeaway: The foldable category remains highly competitive with the expected Samsung Trifold and ultra-thin competitors like the Honor Magic 3 challenging the previous winner, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
  • Summary: The foldable category is dynamic, with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold winning the inaugural award last year, but the upcoming Pixel 10 Pro Fold is expected to contend. The Samsung Trifold, potentially announced soon, is a major wildcard that could either win the category or be deemed the ‘dumbest phone of the year.’ Flipping phones are also noted as reasonable, less expensive folding options.
Most Improved and Bust of the Year
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(01:19:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The base iPhone 17 is a strong candidate for Most Improved due to addressing major complaints (ProMotion, 256GB base storage), while the iPhone 16e is a candidate for Bust of the Year due to missing features like MagSafe at its $600 price point.
  • Summary: The Most Improved award often goes to a device that fixes nearly all previous complaints, making the base iPhone 17 a contender for adding features previously reserved for Pro models. The TCL Paper Phone 50 XL is mentioned as having significant year-over-year e-paper improvements, including a dedicated black-and-white mode button. The iPhone 16e is flagged as a potential Bust of the Year because it lacks MagSafe and ProMotion despite being priced at $600.
Phone of the Year Predictions
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(01:28:51)
  • Key Takeaway: The Galaxy S25 Ultra is currently Marques’ most used phone, but the Phone of the Year award will likely go to a device that significantly changed the narrative, potentially a foldable like the Z Fold 7 or the rumored Samsung Trifold.
  • Summary: Marques’ personal usage heavily favors the Galaxy S25 Ultra, followed by the OnePlus 13, but the overall Phone of the Year award considers market impact and innovation. The S24 Ultra won last year for being the safest, most complete package, but this year’s landscape includes more disruptive devices. A foldable winning MVP is considered more likely than ever before, depending on the success of the Trifold.
Trivia and Housekeeping
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(01:33:39)
  • Key Takeaway: The trivia question concerns the name of the mannequin launched into space in the Tesla Roadster, hinted to be based on a David Bowie song.
  • Summary: The hosts briefly discussed Marques’ cancellation of his personal Tesla Roadster order, contrasting it with SpaceX launching one into space with a mannequin driver. The trivia question asks for the mannequin’s name, which is linked to a David Bowie song. The hosts also confirmed that the spudger is the correct tool name for prying open phone screens in iFixit kits.
iFixit Tool Misunderstanding
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(01:47:30)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts clarified the function of iFixit tools, identifying the spudger as the long, flat-ended tool and the guitar picks as the items used to cut adhesive after initial prying.
  • Summary: There was initial confusion regarding the use of the spudger and the small guitar picks when opening devices. The guitar picks are used to cut the adhesive after the screen is slightly popped open, often with the aid of a suction cup. The spudger is the long, skinny tool used for wedging and pushing components like ribbon cables or the display up.
Trivia Score Update
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(01:48:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Andrew awarded Marques a point retroactively from a previous bonus episode, updating the trivia score to Marques at six and Andrew at eight.
  • Summary: Andrew decided to award Marques a point that Ellis and Andrew had previously withheld from a question posed to David or Marques in a prior bonus episode. This adjustment brought Marques’s score to six points and Andrew’s score to eight points. David’s score remains TBD as they plan to call him later.
Roadster Mannequin Trivia
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(01:49:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The mannequin in the driver’s seat of the Tesla Roadster launched into space was named ‘Starman,’ a reference to a David Bowie song.
  • Summary: The second trivia question asked for the name of the mannequin in the Roadster sent to space. Marques guessed ‘Rocket Man,’ which was incorrect as it is an Elton John song, not a David Bowie song. The correct answer was ‘Starman,’ which Marques was close to guessing.
Horse vs. F1 Car Debate Wrap-up
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(01:50:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Marques expressed concern that listeners would criticize his stance on the difficulty comparison between riding horses and driving F1 cars.
  • Summary: The hosts anticipated listener feedback regarding their opinions on budget phones, small phones, and the comparison between riding horses and driving F1 cars. Marques defended his position by noting that F1 cars still utilize pedals and a steering wheel, unlike a horse which acts independently. The hosts confirmed the next episode would kick off ‘Tektober.’
David Joins for Trivia
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(01:51:22)
  • Key Takeaway: David, joining remotely from the French Alps, incorrectly guessed the name of the prying tool in iFixit kits was the ‘prior tool’ instead of the ‘spudger.’
  • Summary: David joined the trivia segment from the French Alps, where he was vacationing. His first question concerned the silly name of the tool used to pry phone screens, which he incorrectly guessed as the ‘prior tool.’ The correct answer, which he missed, was the spudger.
Second Trivia Question for David
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(01:52:36)
  • Key Takeaway: David ran out of time attempting to recall the name of the Roadster mannequin, ‘Starman,’ despite the hint that it was a David Bowie song title.
  • Summary: Adam posed the second question to David, asking for the name of the mannequin in the Roadster launched into space, noting the answer was a David Bowie song title. David struggled to recall the name, suggesting ‘Ziggy Stardust’ before running out of time. The correct answer was ‘Starman,’ resulting in David scoring zero points and remaining in last place with three points.