Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast

Live at SXSW 2026: Can They Convince Marques to Shoot 24fps?

March 17, 2026

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  • The hosts reviewed predictions from the previous year's live show, noting that Apple Intelligence's full feature set (specifically the advanced Siri) is significantly delayed beyond initial 2025 expectations, and the relaunched social platform Dig appears to have failed due to a lack of community. 
  • Rivian announced pricing and timelines for the R2, with the highest-spec Performance model launching first in Spring 2026 starting at \$57,900, while the base \$45,000 Standard model is projected for 2027 or later. 
  • The audience survey revealed that Marques is considered the host with the best fashion sense, while David received the most votes for having the worst takes on the Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast. 
  • Marques and the crew firmly believe 30 FPS is the optimal frame rate for tech reviews due to its smoothness during slow pans, contrasting with the cinematic look of 24 FPS. 
  • Accessory phones like the Clicks communicator face a significant hurdle in the US market due to the continued reliance on standard SMS texting, which requires the user's primary phone number. 
  • The hosts view Android XR's potential success as higher than VisionOS because Google's philosophy supports multiple form factors, including the desired future use case of standard smart glasses, rather than focusing solely on high-end VR headsets. 

Segments

Sponsor Readout and Audience Engagement (Unknown)
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  • Key Takeaway: None
  • Summary: None
Rivian R2 Pricing and Timelines (Unknown)
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  • Key Takeaway: None
  • Summary: None
Reviewing Last Year’s Tech Takes
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(00:10:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Apple Intelligence is significantly delayed beyond the 2025 expectation set last year, and the relaunched Dig social platform appears to have failed due to lack of community activity.
  • Summary: The hosts revisited their predictions from the previous year’s live show, noting that the advanced LLM-based Siri features of Apple Intelligence are still pending, despite initial confidence it would arrive by the end of 2025. They also confirmed that the relaunched Dig site showed very low engagement metrics, illustrating that community is crucial for social platforms. Furthermore, the hosts were confidently wrong last year about Apple never releasing a touchscreen Mac, which is now rumored for later this year.
Audience Trivia and Host Rankings
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(00:26:05)
  • Key Takeaway: The audience voted Marques as having the best outfits, David as having the worst takes, and film cameras as the most valued niche interest among the hosts.
  • Summary: The hosts played trivia based on the audience survey results, revealing Marques won the ‘best outfits’ category with 26 votes. David Amel was voted as having the ‘worst takes’ on the podcast, dethroning Marques from the previous year. The audience ranked David’s niche interest in film cameras as the top interest among the listed options.
Audience Q&A on Autonomous Vehicles
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(00:32:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Marques and David have both ridden in autonomous vehicles (Waymo and Tesla RoboTaxi), finding them generally smooth and safe, though David expressed concern over market consolidation.
  • Summary: When asked about autonomous vehicles, Marques confirmed he has tested both Tesla’s RoboTaxi and Waymo, concluding they are ‘fine’ and ideal for passengers who prefer no interaction. David has ridden Waymos for years and finds them smooth, but worries about the consolidation of power among the few companies controlling the technology. The hosts also discussed Elon Musk’s bet that a no-steering-wheel, two-seat Cyber Cab will be publicly available before the end of 2026, which Marques is confident will not happen.
Audience Q&A on Future Tech Purchases
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(00:37:40)
  • Key Takeaway: Marques plans to upgrade his desk setup by replacing his Pro Display XDRs with the newer Studio Display XDRs, while Andrew is holding onto his M1 Max MacBook due to performance satisfaction.
  • Summary: When asked about their next big purchase, Marques revealed he is scheming an updated desk setup, specifically looking to replace his Pro Display XDRs with the newer Studio Displays. Andrew stated his M1 Max MacBook is still performing well, making a phone upgrade less urgent due to base storage limitations. David mentioned he might eventually get a Rivian, but is also considering purchasing a Leica M7 film camera.
Audience Q&A on Form Factors and Annoyances
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(00:48:43)
  • Key Takeaway: The market trend favors larger smartphones, making the return of small form factors reliant on niche startups, and the hosts shared minor but persistent tech annoyances.
  • Summary: The audience questioned whether tech will return to smaller form factors, but the hosts noted that despite consumer desire for small phones, sales data shows people overwhelmingly buy the largest models available. Marques cited the full-screen volume overlay in Andrew’s car as a highly annoying, small bug he remembers vividly. David mentioned a persistent issue with his Android TV projector setup where volume levels become decoupled and inaccessible.
Android TV Volume Quirks
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(00:53:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Android TV projector setups can suffer from dual, uncoordinated volume controls.
  • Summary: A user described an Android TV setup involving a projector and a separate box that resulted in two volume controls operating independently. This led to unpredictable volume levels where the system reported max volume but produced no sound. The user suggested a unified system is necessary to resolve this issue.
Accessory Phone Viability
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(00:54:28)
  • Key Takeaway: Accessory phones like Clicks struggle due to reliance on SMS, which requires the primary phone number.
  • Summary: The Clicks communicator, an accessory phone with a physical keyboard, was discussed as a hard sell for Marques. The primary barrier to adoption is the difficulty in maintaining communication via standard texting in the US when using a secondary device without the main phone number. While useful for apps like Signal or Telegram, lack of SMS integration limits its practicality.
Content Production Pipeline
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(00:56:53)
  • Key Takeaway: The team streamlined production by delegating tasks, allowing Marques to focus on writing and testing.
  • Summary: The pre-production process has been streamlined, moving away from the ‘octopus’ phase where one person handles everything. The goal is to cut off arms and delegate tasks to a small team specializing in areas like editing and graphics. This efficiency allows Marques to concentrate on his core roles: writing and testing technology.
Frame Rate Debate: 30 FPS vs 24 FPS
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(00:56:59)
  • Key Takeaway: 30 FPS is preferred for tech reviews to eliminate stutter during slow pans, unlike 24 FPS which appears unnatural.
  • Summary: The film industry’s standard 24 FPS was rejected for tech reviews because slow pans reveal shutter stutter to the eye. Anything above 30 FPS looks too surreal or ‘video gamey,’ cementing 30 FPS as the perfect frame rate for showcasing gadgets fluidly. One host noted that affordable fluid heads in college necessitated the jump to 30 FPS.
Post-Production Quality Control
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(00:59:42)
  • Key Takeaway: Increased channel output necessitates multiple eyes on videos for rigorous fact-checking and embargo adherence.
  • Summary: Due to the high volume of videos across multiple channels, the team is prioritizing multiple reviews during post-production. This increased scrutiny is essential for catching errors before publishing to millions of viewers. Key focus areas include fact-checking and ensuring no embargoes are broken.
Android XR Market Potential
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(01:00:48)
  • Key Takeaway: Android XR’s ceiling is higher than VisionOS because it targets multiple form factors, especially consumer glasses.
  • Summary: Android XR is expected to succeed by fitting various form factors, unlike Apple’s initial focus on a single, high-end headset. Google aims to leverage the success of Android across devices, focusing on the eventual release of consumer glasses rather than just VR goggles. Google Glass was 10 years too early, but the current trend favors glasses over immersive headsets.
Day-to-Day AI Usage
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(01:03:04)
  • Key Takeaway: Gemini is integrating as the new OS layer, but daily use is currently limited to brainstorming and specific phone functions.
  • Summary: Gemini is actively being entrenched across Google’s ecosystem, effectively becoming the new OS foundation, making its adoption inevitable. Currently, the phone-specific integration is limited, such as ordering Ubers on the S26 Ultra. Marques primarily uses Gemini for brainstorming early video concepts, noting that standard Google Home functionality seems neglected.
PC Space Predictions by 2030
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(01:04:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Microsoft is yielding consumer PC ground to Apple while focusing on enterprise and server sales.
  • Summary: Apple has significantly gained ground in the personal computer space over the last few years. Microsoft appears to be forfeiting the consumer side, concentrating heavily on business communications, server sales, and supplying industrial clients via partners like Lenovo. This suggests a major shift in who dominates the consumer PC market.
AI Content Viewership
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(01:05:47)
  • Key Takeaway: AI content viewership is currently spiking due to novelty, but human connection will eventually prioritize human-made content.
  • Summary: The current high viewership for AI content is driven by novelty and low barriers to entry, causing an initial spike. However, the audience ultimately values the effort and human connection inherent in content made by people. Once the novelty wears off, viewers will likely prioritize human-made vlogs and reviews.