The Vergecast - podcast cover

The Vergecast

The Vergewww.theverge.com
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.

Episodes

The 2025 Vergecast Streaming Draft

It's time, once again, to see what's what in the streaming wars. For the third year in a row, our hosts — this time Nilay, David, and The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes — have to build a roster of streaming options that will win awards, show 4K content, satisfy their live TV needs, and much more. First, the hosts decide who won last year's competition, and then they pick their favorites for 2025. Make sure you listen to the episode before you read this, but here are the results of the draft: Jake's pi...

Apr 15, 20251 hr 27 min

How the tech world is responding to tariff chaos

Welcome to tech in 2025, where everything's made up and the numbers don't matter. Nilay, David, and The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes start the show by running down the latest tariff news, the uncertain future facing tech companies of all sizes, and what we're learning so far about how they're responding. After that, the hosts talk about a big week in AI news, including Meta's sketchy benchmark numbers and the latest damning reporting about the future of Siri. Finally, in the lightning round, it's ti...

Apr 11, 20252 hr 35 min

Switch 2: the good news and bad news

Last week, The Verge's Ash Parrish got to play with the new Nintendo Switch 2. We got over our outrageous jealousy long enough to ask her all about it: what it's like to hold, how the screen looks, whether the mouse-control is any good, and much more. Ash gives us the good news, and the bad news, on everything we now know about the Switch 2. (We do talk about the price, but we recorded before the Trump administration launched its massive new tariff push — so you can consider the price even worse...

Apr 08, 20251 hr 20 min

How tariffs will change your gadgets

The Vergecast discusses Microsoft's 50th anniversary, the Nintendo Switch 2, TikTok's potential sale, and new tariffs with Tuneshine's creator. They explore the impact of tariffs on hardware businesses, the challenges of US manufacturing, and potential price increases for consumers. The lightning round covers Brendan Carr, Sony's new TVs, Samsung's latest gadgets, Tesla's sales, and the Coyote vs. Acme movie.

Apr 04, 20252 hr 52 min

Searching for the perfect minimalist smartphone

David has a Light Phone III, and it's making him wonder a lot of things about technology. So The Verge's Allison Johnson joins the show to talk about the whole trend of minimalist smartphones, and to figure out which features a smartphone absolutely needs, and which ones we could all probably do without. After that, The Verge's Andy Hawkins takes us through a big weekend in the Tesla Takedown movement, what's happening with Elon Musk's car company, how automakers are responding to impending tari...

Apr 01, 20251 hr 24 min

OpenAI has a Studio Ghibli problem

In this episode, we do a Studio Ghibli-like rendition of The Vergecast. First, Nilay and David discuss some big news in the gadget world, from the mysteriously viral midrange Canon camera to the upgrades we're expecting out of Apple in the next few months. Plus, is it over for Amazon's Echo brand? After all that, The Verge's Kylie Robison joins the show to discuss everything happening at OpenAI: the company launched a new image generator inside of ChatGPT, and it immediately became both a huge h...

Mar 28, 20252 hr 5 min

How Roomba got stuck

Some products are so successful they become snynonymous with their whole category — nobody asks for a facial tissue, they ask for a Kleenex, you know? Today's episode is, at least in part, about two of those products. First, The Verge's Jennifer Pattison Tuohy joins the show to chart the rise and fall of the Roomba, the robot vacuum that practically invented the category and yet seems to have been left behind. Can iRobot get its robot back on its feet? After that, Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn discus...

Mar 25, 20252 hr 38 min

Trump's confusing crusade against Big Tech

The Vergecast covers Apple's Siri struggles and executive changes, the return of Pebble smartwatches amid EU regulation, and a confusing Starlink deployment at the White House. It also delves into Trump's tech regulation, Huawei's new phone, Nvidia's AI strategy, and Netflix's view of Apple TV.

Mar 21, 20252 hr 54 min

Switch 2, Steam Deck, and the next-gen console wars

Handheld gaming looks like the future — so why isn't it more popular? The Verge's Sean Hollister joins the show to talk about some new data about the handheld console market, what it says about the Steam Deck's dominance, whether the Switch 2 might change everything all over again, and why Sony and Microsoft don't appear to be in the game at all. After that, David reports on his trip to Florida to see TGL, the golf league aiming to bring the sport to new places and new fans, with the help of a t...

Mar 18, 20251 hr 25 min

The fake promise of better Siri

Big tech companies are forever making promises about the future. And you might (or might not) be surprised how often they don't come true. On this episode, Nilay and David start by discussing the good and bad of Apple's new iPads and Macs, before diving into the supposedly AI-powered, all-powerful Siri that is delayed indefinitely. Maybe this whole "AI will fix everything" plan wasn't such a good one. After that, The Verge's Andy Hawkins joins to discuss what's going on with Tesla: why sales are...

Mar 14, 20252 hr 47 min

China has some big ideas about smartphones

In this episode, what's old is new again, and what's new is... AI again. The Verge's Allison Johnson and Dominic Preston join David to discuss their experience at Mobile World Congress 2025, where they saw the latest devices from Xiaomi, Samsung, Realme, and others — and found themselves confronted with some big, surprising new ideas about how our smartphones should look and work. After that, Kevin Rose and Justin Mezzell talk about the process of bringing Digg back, and how AI can improve the w...

Mar 11, 20251 hr 19 min

Apple's chip bumps, big and small

The Vergecast discusses Apple's latest product updates, including the iPad Air, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio, focusing on chip enhancements and design tweaks. The hosts also delve into tech news, such as Dig's return and the shutdown of Skype, along with political issues like tariffs and free speech concerns.

Mar 07, 20252 hr 53 min

The James Bond Cinematic Universe

On this episode, we're diving deep into new ideas about old things. First, Framework CEO Nirav Patel joins David and The Verge's Sean Hollister to talk about Framework's new Laptop 12 and Desktop, plus the company's plan to bring its upgradeable, repairable ethos to other gadgets. After that, Daring Fireball's John Gruber joins the show to talk about the future of James Bond, now that Amazon has complete creative control over the 007 franchise. Do we want to live in the James Bond Cinematic Univ...

Mar 04, 20252 hr 34 min

The high stakes for AI Alexa

AI will fix everything, right? In this episode, friend of The Verge (and Waveform co-host) David Imel joins Nilay and David to talk all about Alexa Plus, and the AI-powered voice assistant Amazon thinks can do everything from turn on your lights to order your friend an Uber. The hosts also talk about the other gadgets of the week, from the wild new Sigma BF camera to the boring iPhone 16E. Finally, in the lightning round, they talk about TikTok becoming YouTube and YouTube becoming TikTok and In...

Feb 28, 20252 hr 56 min

We can’t quit electric cars — or robotaxis

Robotaxis: in. EVs: Out? The Verge's Andy Hawkins joins the show to talk about the goings-on in the transportation industry, including the reasons car makers are slowing down on EV production (but not giving up entirely) and why suddenly everyone's back in on robotaxis. Then, The Social Web Foundation's Evan Prodromou tells us what's new with the fediverse. We talk about Bluesky, Threads, Mastodon, and the increasingly ambitious plans for the ActivityPub protocol. Finally, we talk through some f...

Feb 25, 20251 hr 17 min

The ups and downs of the iPhone 16E

Lots of gadget news this week! David, Jake Kastrenakes, and Allison Johnson start by talking about the iPhone 16E, which is both the cheapest compelling iPhone in a long time and a deeply odd addition to Apple's phone lineup. They also discuss the end of the Humane AI Pin, the latest from the Rabbit R1, and whether AI gadgets are even going to be a thing. After that, it's time for the lightning round: David and Jake talk about Amazon Chime, Mira Murati's new startup, and the future of James Bond...

Feb 21, 20252 hr 53 min

Can Meta still make the metaverse?

This episode is all about companies in flux. First, we chat with The Verge's Alex Heath about all things Meta — whether the company is still serious about the metaverse, why its AI plans seem to be going so well, what "OG Facebook" really means, and what headsets to expect this year. After that, The Verge's Chris Welch takes us through the last year at Sonos, from the disastrous app launch to the pretty good headphones that were totally derailed by the disastrous app launch. Can the company get ...

Feb 18, 20251 hr 16 min

Elon Musk: agent of chaos

On today's episode, once again, it's OpenAI and DOGE. And some other things! Nilay and David start the show by talking about Elon Musk's surprise bid to buy the nonprofit arm of OpenAI, along with the company's plans for new models and new rules for those models. After that, The Verge's Lauren Feiner joins to catch us up on what's happening with DOGE, how Musk and co. are making boring government information into something deeply fascinating and deeply confusing, and what it's like to work for t...

Feb 14, 20252 hr 52 min

What $200 of ChatGPT is really worth

AI and politics, politics and AI. That's the story of 2025. On this episode, The Verge's Kylie Robison joins the show to talk about ChatGPT's big new features, Operator and deep research, both of which promise to make the chatbot more useful and more autonomous. To access either one costs $200 a month — is it worth it? After that, The Verge's Liz Lopatto catches us up on the latest from Elon Musk and Doge, including why Musk is doing this thing, this way. Liz also makes the case that this isn't ...

Feb 11, 20251 hr 25 min

Elon Musk's computer coup

Nilay, David, and Richard Lawler take on a big week in confusing news stories. First, they talk through the latest from Elon Musk's DOGE, which is running rampant through government computer systems with little pushback. Then they explain the latest on the US government's tariff strategy, and the mass confusion it's causing across tech. Then they pivot away from politics and talk about streaming: the Super Bowl coming to Tubi, the deeply confusing forthcoming Fox streaming service, whatever Comc...

Feb 07, 20252 hr 37 min

Samsung’s S25 Ultra and the end of the flagship phone

Today on the show, it’s all about the future of phones… and your data. The Verge’s Allison Johnson joins the show to talk about the new Samsung Galaxy S25, what’s new in this high-end phone, and what it means for all the other smartphones coming this year. After that, Cooper Quintin, a senior staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, talks us through how to think about the privacy implications of RedNote, TikTok, DeepSeek, and all the other tech that puts us in contact with China...

Feb 04, 20251 hr 27 min

How DeepSeek crashed the AI party

Nilay and David dig into the week's biggest story: the new Intel-powered Surface Pro. Kidding! They talk about DeepSeek, the out-of-nowhere AI company that sent both Silicon Valley and the stock market into uproar this week. Then, after the hosts debate what the real killer app for AI is — and whether we've even found one yet — we follow up on our question from last week about how people are actually using AI. We got so many good answers, and we talk through what to make of them all. Finally, in...

Jan 31, 20252 hr 47 min

A lazy person’s guide to getting in shape

The Verge’s Victoria Song joins the show to talk about the most popular and most-bailed-on New Year’s Resolution of all: getting in shape. She tells us about the apps that help you work out more without being rude about it, the data you really need to care about in your fitness tracker, and much more. After that, we talk to Anna Valtonen, one of the curators and researchers behind the new Nokia Design Archive. She tells us about the concepts, presentations, and overall culture that made Nokia su...

Jan 28, 20252 hr 32 min

Samsung's thin, big, boring AI phones

Nilay, David, and The Verge's Allison Johnson run down all the biggest news from the latest Samsung Unpacked. The S25 Edge had everyone excited, but the other new Galaxy S25 models feel a little familiar. Then, The Verge's Lauren Feiner updates us on the many goings-on in the first days of the new Trump administration, from the TikTok ban delay to the executive orders on citizenship and AI. Finally, in the lightning round, David and Nilay talk about Netflix's price increase, smart-home standards...

Jan 24, 20252 hr 40 min

How the future of sports streaming died

First in this episode, a quick update on the TikTok ban (which didn't turn out to be much of a ban at all.) Then, Sportico's Jacob Feldman joins the show to talk about Venu, the much-hyped streaming service that planned to bring all sports into a single platform — and never even managed to launch. After that, The Verge's Kevin Nguyen tells us how to read more books this year, and how to turn all your aimless scrolling time into more productive reading time. Finally, we answer a question on the V...

Jan 21, 20252 hr 34 min

Nintendo's Switch 2 is here — sort of

David Pierce and Richard Lawler are joined by The Verge's Ash Parrish and Andrew Webster to talk about the Nintendo Switch 2 launch — all the things we know, and all the things we don't. (There's a lot of both.) Then The Verge's Adi Robertson joins to talk about the latest machinations in the potential TikTok ban, plus a Supreme Court hearing about adult content that might just be about the future of the internet. Finally, in the lightning round, David and Richard talk about Patrick Spence leavi...

Jan 17, 20252 hr 37 min

The TikTok ban, and what comes next

In five days, TikTok as we know it could be finished in the US. The Verge's Lauren Feiner joins the show to discuss last week's Supreme Court arguments over the ban, why things don't look good for TikTok, and what's likely to happen in the next five days. After that, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor talks about the state of the gadget inventor, and what it means to be part of the creator economy in 2025. Finally, we answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline about magic-link logins, and why pas...

Jan 14, 20251 hr 27 min

CES 2025: the biggest stories and best gadgets (Live)

In this special live episode of The Vergecast, from the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas, it's time to talk CES. Nilay and David run through some of the show's biggest stories, plus the Meta news that dominated the conversations all week in Vegas. Then Allison Johnson, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, and Victoria Song join the show to talk about all the newest, best, weirdest, and worst gadgets they've seen this year. AI is everywhere, everyone's making smart glasses, the smart home might be turning a corner...

Jan 10, 20251 hr 16 min

A Vergecast holiday re-run marathon

Happy Holidays! The Vergecast is off this week, but we also know you might be doing a lot of traveling and / or avoiding of your family this time of year, so we figured we'd do something a little different. We compiled a bunch of our favorite Vergecast segments and moments from this year — a full six hours of them! — in case you need something to listen to. You may have heard them all before! They might all be new! Maybe it'll be a mix! This one's an easy skip if you're looking for one, but if y...

Dec 24, 20247 hr 32 min

The Vergecast Matter Holiday Spec-tacular

Happy holidays! Before we disappear into family time and catching up on our favorite shows, we have one more episode for you. And it's 90 minutes of deep nerdery about the smart home. Every year, we try to dig into one standard or spec that has impacted our lives this year, and we couldn't think of anything more potentially great and occasionally infuriating than Matter. Matter is supposed to be the protocol that makes the smart home work — so, uh, how's that going? The Verge's Jennifer Pattison...

Dec 20, 20242 hr