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The Vergecast is the flagship podcast from The Verge about small gadgets, Big Tech, and everything in between. Every Friday, hosts Nilay Patel and David Pierce hang out and make sense of the week’s most important technology news. And every Tuesday, David leads a selection of The Verge’s expert staffers in an exploration of how gadgets and software affect our lives — and which ones you should bring into yours.
The Vergecast is the flagship podcast from The Verge about small gadgets, Big Tech, and everything in between. Every Friday, hosts Nilay Patel and David Pierce hang out and make sense of the week’s most important technology news. And every Tuesday, David leads a selection of The Verge’s expert staffers in an exploration of how gadgets and software affect our lives — and which ones you should bring into yours.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 7, 2026 • 1h 14min
The case for banning cookie banners
Allison Johnson, senior reviewer who tests phones and mapping apps, and Kate Klonick, professor and researcher on legal tech and online privacy, debate big fixes for web tracking. They argue for scrapping cookie banners and explore AI in Google Maps, from helpful Ask Maps itineraries to unsettling privacy tradeoffs. They also test whether e-ink phones and friction can curb digital distraction.
Apr 3, 2026 • 1h 40min
Apple's best product ever
They run a sprawling ranking of Apple’s top 50 products with heated takes and surprising placements. They break down recent AI industry moves, including OpenAI’s big funding and product pivots. There’s a playful Hype Desk segment with focus tools and PAX East gaming picks. They also dig into fediverse apps, iMac hardware hacks, and supply-chain price woes.
Mar 31, 2026 • 1h 24min
Apple at 50: the good and the bad
Jason Snell, longtime Apple journalist known for deep product analysis, and Anil Dash, blogger and tech culture commentator, dig into Apple at 50. They debate Apple's hardware strengths, software struggles, design risks, ecosystem control, and leadership paths. They also tackle podcast openness, why video moved toward platforms, and how Apple’s moves could reshape creator choice.
Mar 27, 2026 • 1h 37min
Meta's court losses could be just the beginning
They dig into landmark court rulings that target social platforms’ design and features rather than just content. There is a deep look at how these legal fights could reshape platform behavior and user recourse. They also unpack the messy new US router manufacturing ban, recent AI-driven music fraud, and fallout from a controversial AI impersonation feature.
Mar 27, 2026 • 1h 29min
Choosing Apple's 50 best products ever (subscriber exclusive)
Two tech journalists argue over which Apple products truly belong in a top-50 list. They spar about defining a "product," pick iconic Macs, iPhones, iPods, AirPods, and the M1 chip, and debate software, peripherals, and retail as milestones. The conversation revisits choices, trims duplicates, and settles contentious inclusions before sending the list to readers to rank.
Mar 24, 2026 • 55min
Welp, I bought an iPhone again
Allison Johnson, senior phone reviewer with hands-on smartphone testing experience, joins to dissect modern phones. They debate flip versus fold hardware and software. They compare Android and iOS strengths, from notifications and spam handling to app quality. They explore AI like Gemini for automations and whether AI can simplify device use.
Mar 20, 2026 • 1h 41min
Why people really hate AI
Allison Johnson, a technology reporter known for reviewing consumer devices, recounts her odd Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold experience. She discusses the device’s abrupt cancellation and the strange hurdles reviewers faced. Short takes cover foldable phone tradeoffs, software scaling, and whether large foldables can find a mainstream audience.
Mar 17, 2026 • 1h 3min
The future of code is exciting and terrifying
Paul Ford, writer-technologist who runs Aboard and the F-Train blog, shares conflicted excitement about AI tooling and its impact on coding. Dominic Preston, mobile hardware reporter, breaks down global phone trends from MWC and why big sensors and telephoto tech matter. They explore AI-led ‘vibe coding,’ job risk versus usefulness, and which phone innovations Americans might be missing.
Mar 13, 2026 • 1h 45min
The MacBook Neo is a winner
Two tech writers describe why a $599 laptop is suddenly unignorable, from keyboard quirks to repairability and macOS Tahoe complaints. They debate how an affordable Mac could reshape the iPad and PC markets. A deep dive into Project Helix explores Xbox turning into a PC and PC features becoming Xbox-native. Quick-fire segments mock regulators, unpack studio merger news, and flag Grammarly identity concerns.
Mar 10, 2026 • 1h 6min
The twist in the Ticketmaster antitrust fight
Lauren Feiner, tech reporter covering antitrust and Live Nation/Ticketmaster, breaks down the surprise settlement and its courtroom twists. Hayden Field, senior AI reporter, walks through Anthropic, OpenAI, and the Pentagon’s fraught dealings. They discuss settlement terms, DOJ strategy, supply chain risks, and how defense contracts reshape AI companies.
