Apple dropped the iPhone 17e and MacBook Neo this week, and Waveform's crew, including MKBHD, spends over 40 minutes on the MacBook Neo alone. That runtime is a signal. The MacBook Neo discussion is where the real opinions live, not the summary.
Nothing released three products simultaneously: the 4a, 4a Pro, and Headphones(a). The 4a Pro gets a dedicated 10-minute breakdown. Separately, RTINGS, the benchmark site consumers and journalists depend on for display and audio reviews, moved to a subscription model. The hosts spend 18 minutes on that shift, which is longer than any single hardware segment except the MacBook Neo. That conversation covers what it means when trusted, independent review infrastructure starts charging for access.
The back half turns structural. Tech publication traffic is collapsing, per a Growtika report linked in the description, and Meta's smart glasses are facing a lawsuit after workers reviewed footage containing nudity. The episode asks what the internet looks like when the ad model fails, AI reshapes search, and hardware is surveilling users. Read the RTINGS statement and the Growtika report before listening. They are the foundation for everything discussed after the 1:22 mark.
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