Episode 50 of The Sideload puts three things on the table: the persistent hardware gap between North American and global phone markets, the competitive vacuum left by OnePlus exiting the space, and the emerging case for smartphones as legitimate Steam Deck replacements.
The episode is worth your time for the OnePlus discussion alone. That brand held a specific position in the Android market, and its absence has not been cleanly filled. Will, Daniel, and Nick Sutrich also work through why Samsung and Google are choosing not to build certain phones, which tells you as much about the market as the phones that do exist.
The AI and gaming section closes the episode with a pointed look at how generative AI is disrupting game development pipelines. No conclusions are handed to you. Listen to form your own.
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