Spotify’s big audio play, plus a Palm tiny phone review

Starting a wireless carrier is easier than you might think. So is building a half-decent Android phone! But doing all the things Trump Mobile promises, at the price and on the schedule it says, seems awfully close to impossible. While Nilay's out, David and Jake chat with The Verge's Dominic Preston about what we know about Trump Mobile and the T1 Phone, why everyone wants to be a wireless carrier, and what it would actually take for this to work out. After that, David and Jake talk through some big news in the TV world, and the streaming takeover that appears to be happening faster all the time. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for some brief FCC news, a check on the state of Siri, big questions about the ad-rich future of WhatsApp, a look at the new fediverse feed in Threads, and some thoughts on the Framework Laptop 12. Further reading: Trump Mobile launches $47 service and a gold phone  Who is really behind the Trump Mobile T1 phone?  Trump Mobile is a bad deal  What is the deal with the Trump Mobile T1 Phone?  What do Alabama, California, and Florida have in common? How Donald Trump and Ryan Reynolds can easily sell you phone plans  Even Klarna is launching a mobile phone service now SmartLess Mobile | Don't get outsmarted. Get SmartLess Mobile. Eric trump interview Trump is giving TikTok another ban extension  Vivo wants its new X200 Ultra smartphone to replace your camera  Streaming is eating cable and broadcast TV’s lunch. | The Verge From Nieman Lab: For the first time, social media overtakes TV as Americans’ top news source Max will show autoplaying video previews suggested by AI  Senate confirms Trump’s FCC pick, Olivia Trusty  Apple’s upgraded Siri might not arrive until next spring  WhatsApp is officially getting ads  WhatsApp’s rollout of ads will change the app forever  Signal says it won’t add AI or ads like WhatsApp. | The Verge Reddit will help advertisers turn ‘positive’ posts into ads  Senate passes GENIUS stablecoin bill in a win for the crypto industry  Threads is adding fediverse content and search to its feeds  Framework Laptop 12 review: plastic fantastic | The Verge Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

20 Kesä 1h 42min

It's a small miracle that a bunch of us managed to get our heads out of Mario Kart World long enough to make a show about the Switch 2. But that's what we did! First, we chat with The Verge's Andrew Webster about his review, and why it feels like the Switch 2 is both everything we wanted and somehow still a little underwhelming. (Or at least just... whelming.) After that, The Verge's Ash Parrish tells us about her adventures traveling with the Switch 2, plus her recent time with the new Asus ROG Xbox Ally, and what she's learning about the future of consoles. Finally, The Verge's Sean Hollister helps us answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline all about console prices: why they keep going up, and whether they'll continue to be worth it. Further reading: Nintendo Switch 2 review: exactly good enough Nintendo says your bad Switch 2 battery life might be a bug Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller review: pro enough for me Mario Kart World review: the perfect Switch 2 launch game The Verge staff on the Switch 2: what we love and what we don’t Fortnite feels like a new game on the Switch 2 Xbox’s new handheld is a surprisingly comfortable way to play Gears of War Steam Deck, Switch, ROG: picking the perfect portable console Steam Deck OLED, ROG Ally and more: all the news about the handheld PC revolution Fortnite feels like a new game on the Switch 2 Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Kesä 1h 19min

There's a lot of news this week, so today's episode turned into a whole bunch of lightning rounds. Nilay, David, and The Verge's Jake Kastrenakes talk through all the vibes and news at WWDC, and why F1 seemed to outshine everything else. We also talk about the Switch 2 launch, and the news this week that Microsoft and Asus are building Xbox handhelds in both clever and confusing ways. After that, we run through for a bunch of AI news, including the ongoing decline of Google traffic to the web, the new Dia browser, and Sam Altman's ideas about how much water ChatGPT uses. Finally, it's time for another edition of Brendan Carr is a Dummy, followed by the news of Warner Bros. Discovery breaking up, some very fast flash drives, and a new Meta messaging app. Further reading: Craig Federighi confirms Apple’s first attempt at an AI Siri wasn’t good enough Ars: Apple’s Craig Federighi on the long road to the iPad’s Mac-like multitasking Nintendo’s Switch 2 is the fastest-selling game console of all time  Nintendo says your bad Switch 2 battery life might be a bug Microsoft and Asus announce two Xbox Ally handhelds with new Xbox full-screen experience This is how Microsoft is combining Windows and Xbox for handheld PCs  Xbox’s new handheld is a surprisingly comfortable way to play Gears of War  Microsoft just teased its next-gen Xbox console, and nobody noticed The Nothing Phone 3 is coming to the US, and not in beta. HP reveals $24,999 hardware created just for Google Beam  Online publishers are facing a chatbot calamity.  Disney and Universal sue Midjourney for making AI ripoffs of their biggest characters  Taboola’s clickbaity chumbox is evolving into an AI chatbot  Alexa Plus now has a million users and could be coming to you this summer  Amazon is about to be flooded with AI-generated video ads Dia, the AI browser from the makers of Arc, is now available in beta  Sam Altman claims an average ChatGPT query uses ‘roughly one fifteenth of a teaspoon’ of water FCC’s last Democratic commissioner doesn’t know why Trump hasn’t fired her yet Republicans are barreling toward remaking the internet  Trump-fired FTC commissioner resigns.  Warner Bros. Discovery is splitting into two companies Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

13 Kesä 1h 59min

Apple spent 90 minutes talking about the future of its software, and we're pretty sure only said the word "Siri" once. Nilay and David are joined by The Verge's Victoria Song and Allison Johnson, both of whom were with Nilay at the keynote, to talk about all the news of the day. They talk about the Liquid Glass design language, and why Apple decided to redesign all its software. They talk about Spotlight on the Mac, the new multitasking features on the iPad, the typing indicators on the iPhone, Workout Buddy on the Watch, personas on the Vision Pro, and everything else that Apple announced — or, in a few cases, pointedly didn't announce — on stage. We're just starting to try out some of this software, and it's all likely to change a lot before it hits your devices this fall. And we'll have lots of thoughts along the way. Further reading: Apple renames its operating systems  Apple’s new design language is Liquid Glass  Apple’s Liquid Glass redesign doesn’t look like much  Apple’s ChatGPT integration makes it easier to search for more context on images and shop for things they see. Apple Intelligence takes on language barriers in messages and phone calls.  Apple announces macOS Tahoe 26 with new design and revamped search features  Apple’s Spotlight upgrades in macOS Tahoe have power users in mind  Apple launches iPadOS 26 with a new look and way better multitasking  Apple announces watchOS 26 with a wrist flick gesture and AI ‘Workout Buddy’  Apple’s visionOS 26 adds PSVR2 controller support and spatial widgets  Apple’s AirPods update adds camera controls and more  Apple’s new Games app lets you challenge your friends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Kesä 2h 1min

Developer conference season is almost over, but we've got one show left to see: Apple's WWDC begins on Monday. Nilay, David, and Joanna Stern spend time going through both what they expect to see at the show, and why this year's WWDC might feel a bit different than in years past. Apple is in a tricky place with regulators, developers, and users alike, and has some genuine explaining to do. After that, they talk about the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and David's surprisingly easy adventure to acquire one. We also have a bit of smart glasses and AI gadgets news to discuss, so we do that too. Then it's time for Brendan Carr is a Dummy, and an update on a couple of the interesting new fediverse projects launching this week. Further reading: Verge subscriptions are on sale 40 percent off American Society of Magazine Editors Announces National Magazine Awards 2025 Winners Apple ordered to keep web links in the App Store  Payment companies team up to help developers ditch App Store billing Apple could be adding camera controls and sleep detection to your AirPods Switch 2 launch: where to find restocks online and in-store  Look inside the Nintendo Switch 2 with the console’s first teardown  Mario Kart World’s designers had to rethink everything to make it open world  Nintendo is updating even more games for the Switch 2 Here’s what’s inside Meta’s experimental new smart glasses  Meta’s reportedly shopping for exclusive content on its upcoming VR headset  Meta reportedly sidelined ‘Quest 4’ designs for a goggles-like mixed-reality headset  FCC investigation looms over EchoStar’s missed interest payments and a new satellite  From Ars Technica: FCC Republican resigns, leaving agency with just two commissioners Jony Ive’s OpenAI device gets the Laurene Powell Jobs nod of approval  ChatGPT’s goal is to be a ‘super assistant’ for every part of your life  Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Help us plan for the future of The Vergecast by filling out a brief survey: voxmedia.com/survey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

6 Kesä 1h 34min

We've talked many times on The Vergecast about the dream of the perfect charger. We call it The God Cable, and imagine it would charge everything, at full optimized speed, no matter what you plug in. Well, one company tried to make it – sort of. TwelveSouth founder Andrew Green joins the show to talk about how his company developed its newest product, the PowerCord, and why actually the God Cable might be both impossible and a bad idea. After that, The Verge's Tina Nguyen joins the show to talk about her experience at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, the rise of $TRUMP, and how crypto and the government became so intertwined. Finally, we answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline about AI agents, and the tasks we should (and shouldn't) offload to our chatbots. Further reading: The TwelveSouth PowerCord The Vergecast USB-C Holiday Spec-tacular Everything you need to know about switching to USB-C How a crypto bro shorted $TRUMP coin — and scored a dinner with the President Presidential seals, $100,000 watches, and a Marriott afterparty Trump’s media company says it’s buying $2.5 billion in Bitcoin The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act will soon ramp up in Congress. Crypto funds seized by the government may go into a ‘digital Fort Knox’ Google’s future is Google googling OpenAI’s new Operator AI agent can do things on the web for you Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Fill out a brief survey and tell us what you want from The Vergecast: voxmedia.com/survey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

3 Kesä 1h 5min

It's a slowish news week ahead of some very busy news weeks, so of course Nilay and David start the show with a long discussion about party speakers. Eventually, they get into the news, beginning with some of the huge Apple redesigns planned for WWDC in June. For the first time in a long time, the stakes for Apple's software teams feel really high. After that, the hosts talk about Nilay's recent interview with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and what the AI-ification of everything means for the future of the web. Finally, in the lightning round, it's time for another Brendan Carr is a Dummy, plus some talk about the Nintendo Switch 2, a bit of confusing tariff news, and more. Further reading: Graduation and prom season in full force, Alan sends a graduation procession with a party speaker on… her head? So so many softball and baseball games, Luis tips us to the Yankees Incredible at a dentist office from Oktawian Apple is reportedly going to rename all of its operating systems  Apple is ready to replace Game Center with a more Xbox-like gaming app  Get ready for Apple’s glassy operating systems overhaul. Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry The New York Times’ first generative AI deal is with Amazon The Browser Company explains why it stopped developing Arc The plan for nationwide fiber internet might be upended for Starlink FCC Commissioner Labels Trump Push to Chill Speech an ‘Administration-Wide Effort’ Carr's attack on Ergen looks gross Shut Down the Federal Communications Commission With the Switch, technology finally caught up to Nintendo  Nintendo’s bold new era is full of safe bets  The Nintendo Switch was an indie game haven, until it was overrun with slop  The Nintendo Switch 2 sure seems to work just fine with a USB mouse  There’s a Switch 2 unboxing video already. Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

30 Touko 1h 34min

After more than a month of testimony, the Meta antirust trial is beginning to slow down. The Google search remedies trial, meanwhile, is about to heat up again, with closing arguments coming soon. The Verge’s Lauren Feiner has been in the DC courthouse for all of it, and has finally emerged to tell us about what she’s seen, and learned, from two all-important monopoly trials. After that, The Verge’s Victoria Song tells us about her latest experience with Google’s smart glasses prototypes, what Google is doing differently from Meta and Apple, and what she thinks Jony Ive and OpenAI might be building. Finally, we answer a question on the Vergecast Hotline about what to do now that Mozilla is shutting down Pocket. FTC v. Meta: The antitrust battle over WhatsApp and Instagram Did WhatsApp really need Meta? Why the FTC argues Meta is a closer rival to MeWe than TikTok Instagram CEO testifies about competing with TikTok: ‘You’re either growing, or you’re slowly dying’ Android XR is getting stylish partners in Warby Parker, Gentle Monster Xreal teases Project Aura smart glasses for Android XR We tried on Google’s prototype AI smart glasses Android XR and Project Moohan hands-on: Gemini is the killer app Mozilla is shutting down Pocket Raindrop.io Instapaper Matter Wallabag Readwise Reader Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

27 Touko 1h 19min