AI Summary
5 min readIn the middle of a slow gadget season lull, Apple dropped the M6 chip and a new M5 Ultra Mac Studio via a quiet press release, Google launched the Pixel 11 series with a half-baked AI feature called "Highlight," and a render of the Galaxy S27 Ultra leaked so early it barely counts as a rumor. The hosts of the Waveform podcast sat down to sort through the pile, and the dominant theme is that the most interesting tech announcements right now are the ones that feel slightly off — too expensive, too constrained, or too early.
The Pixel 11: Great phones you shouldn't buy
Marques has been daily-driving the Pixel 11 Pro for three weeks, and his verdict is blunt: "It's another one of those phones that I really like and will not be recommending to almost anyone ever." The base Pixel 11 starts at $900, and the Pro models cost $200 more for matte rails and a marginally better camera. The Pro has less RAM than last year's Pro, and the Tensor chip still stutters in Google Maps. "I haven't experienced this on a phone in a while," Marques said. "On a new phone. On a brand new thousand-dollar phone."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:47) **Welcome to Gadget Season** - The hosts are back in one room and preview a packed episode covering Pixel 11s, Apple's M6 chip, the Galaxy S27 leak, and Nothing OS5.
- 2 (02:57) **"Did They Even Test This?"** - Marquez flags a major UI glitch in the YouTube app's subscription tab on his Pixel.
- 3 (08:08) **Pixel 11 Lineup: Final Thoughts** - Marquez delivers his verdict after three weeks with the Pixel 11 Pro, calling it a phone he likes but won't recommend.
- 4 (11:41) **Gemini Intelligence: A Deeply Flawed Feature** - Marquez pressure-tested Gemini Intelligence and found it to be an extremely narrow, poorly communicated set of automations.
- 5 (19:23) **Google's Sneaky "Best Take" and the Highlight Misfire** - David discovers Google auto-applied face-swapping without asking, while the crew eviscerates the Pixel 11's new "Highlight" feature.
- 6 (37:26) **Galaxy S27 Ultra Leak: A New Camera Design** - The first renders of the S27 Ultra show a radical departure from the vertical camera stack.
- 7 (43:34) **Trivia: The Origin of WD-40** - David asks what the "WD" in WD-40 stands for and what the product was originally developed for.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
A lot happened this week! First, Marques, Andrew, and David give final thoughts for the Pixel 11 series before getting into the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra. Then it's all about the new Apple chips and Mac computers. We wrap it up with anew Google Fitbit x Pokemon band and the Nothing OS 5.0 launch. It's a fun one!
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Links:
Android Headlines x @Onleaks - S27 Ultra Leak
Google - Fitbit Air x Pokemon Sleep
News.com.au: Robot fails
Nothing - Nothing OS 5.0
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