OnePlus is Dead… (In the US)

Summary of OnePlus is Dead… (In the US)

by MKBHD

1h 44m•July 17, 2026
Listen to Episode

Overview of OnePlus is Dead… (In the US)

This episode of Waveform is a wide-ranging tech-news discussion centered on OnePlus’s retreat from Western markets, leaked Google Pixel 11 details, Samsung foldable display improvements, and a pair of unsettling AI hardware stories from OpenAI and Meta. The hosts also spend time on emoji culture, Android app-store changes, privacy concerns around always-on cameras, and finish with a show-and-tell segment plus trivia.

Major Topics Covered

New emoji and keyboard mishaps

  • The episode opens with a lighthearted segment about new Unicode emoji coming soon, including:
    • Monarch butterfly
    • Bug-catching net
    • Meteor
    • Pointing thumbs
    • A cracked face
    • Lighthouse
    • Pickle
    • Eraser
  • The hosts joke about accidental emoji/sticker sends in Gboard, especially sloth stickers and blob stickers.
  • This leads into a generational conversation about whether younger people still use emoji regularly.

Google Play and third-party app stores

  • They discuss the Google/Epic antitrust remedy that will force Google Play to support third-party app stores.
  • The group notes the irony of downloading alternative app stores through Google Play itself.
  • They speculate on what this could mean for competition, including the Epic Store, Microsoft, and other Android app ecosystems.

OnePlus leaving the US, North America, and Europe

  • The biggest hardware story is OnePlus effectively exiting Western markets.
  • The hosts frame this as the end of an era for a brand that once felt disruptive and enthusiast-friendly.
  • They note:
    • OnePlus devices will continue in Asia and India.
    • OnePlus is merging users more fully into ColorOS.
    • OxygenOS had already become much closer to ColorOS over time.
  • They also talk about how U.S. carriers shaped phone sales and why OnePlus never truly fit the carrier-driven U.S. market.

Favorite OnePlus phones and the brand’s decline

  • The hosts reflect on OnePlus history and name several standout models from the brand’s peak era.
  • The discussion emphasizes:
    • The original OnePlus One and its hype/invite-system era
    • The OnePlus 7 Pro / 7T Pro generation as a high point
  • Their main point: OnePlus made compelling enthusiast phones, but the brand’s identity became inconsistent and eventually weakened.

Google Pixel 11 leaks: colors, specs, and prices

  • A major segment covers leaked Pixel 11 details from an Amazon listing.
  • Reported colors:
    • Pixel 11: Obsidian/Midnight Haze, Frost/Light Sterling, Hibiscus/Fuchsia, Green/Pistachio/Moss
    • Pixel 11 Pro: Obsidian/Midnight Haze, Light Fog/Sterling, Dune/Canyon, Pine/Olive
  • Leaked pricing raised eyebrows:
    • Pixel 11: $900 starting price
    • Pixel 11 Pro: $1,100
    • Pixel 11 Pro XL: $1,300
  • They argue Google may be making the phones too expensive, especially if the feature upgrades are small.
  • The hosts are skeptical that Tensor/AI improvements alone will justify the pricing.

Samsung foldable display improvements

  • They discuss a rumored Samsung “Flex Titanium” display stack for future Fold devices.
  • The key idea:
    • Replace the old plastic support layer with a titanium alloy film
    • Increase stiffness and durability
    • Reduce the visible crease
    • Potentially improve brightness efficiency
  • The conversation compares Samsung’s folding display evolution with more crease-free competitors.

Apple vs OpenAI: trade secrets and hardware ambitions

  • The episode shifts into a major legal story:
    • Apple is reportedly suing OpenAI over alleged trade-secret theft.
    • The allegations involve former Apple employees bringing confidential information, parts, and internal knowledge to OpenAI.
  • The hosts discuss how much of this falls into the blurry line between expertise and trade secrets.
  • They also cover a rumor that OpenAI is building:
    • A screenless smart speaker
    • AI companionship features
    • Always-available contextual understanding
    • Mechanical movement meant to make the device feel more alive
  • The central concern: OpenAI wants to build “the next big thing,” but anything that wants to replace the phone has to solve messaging, communication, and app ecosystem problems first.

Meta’s always-recording glasses

  • Another privacy-heavy rumor: Meta is allegedly building AI glasses that constantly record audio and snap photos so users can query them later.
  • The hosts are strongly skeptical and concerned about:
    • Constant surveillance
    • Metadata collection
    • Training data use
    • The likelihood of public backlash and bans in places like bathrooms, gyms, and changing rooms
  • They also revisit earlier rumors about Apple-style camera/sensor features in AirPods and note how camera-equipped wearables create trust issues.

Main Takeaways

  • OnePlus’s Western decline is a carrier-market story as much as a product story.
    • The U.S. market rewards carrier-friendly, expensive phones, which is a bad fit for OnePlus’s original value proposition.
  • Pixel 11 pricing is the main concern, not the design.
    • The leaked colors are interesting, but the pricing jump is what alarms the hosts.
  • AI hardware is still searching for a real use case beyond novelty.
    • OpenAI and Meta both seem to be chasing the “next big device,” but the hosts argue these products still struggle to justify themselves without the smartphone.
  • Privacy will be the battleground for wearables.
    • Always-on cameras and “proactive” assistants may face serious social and regulatory pushback.

Show and Tell / Personal Recommendations

Marquez

  • Learned how to juggle over six months as a New Year’s resolution.
  • Demonstrated he can juggle three identical objects well, though mainly same-size/same-shape items.

Other picks from the crew

  • Dead Eyes: A podcast about an actor who was fired from Band of Brothers after Tom Hanks reportedly said he had “dead eyes.”
  • Dungeon Crawler Carl: An audiobook series praised for its excellent voice acting and fun dungeon-crawler premise.
  • Modded Nintendo 3DS XL: Homebrewed and upgraded with a larger battery and modern software tweaks.
  • XTE Ink e-reader: A very thin e-reader that can attach to the back of a phone via MagSafe rings.
  • Typora: A minimalist Markdown writing app that makes focused writing easier than working in Google Docs.

Trivia and Closing

  • The episode ends with the usual trivia segment:
    • Pete Lau wanted OnePlus to be the Muji of the tech industry.
    • The 2017 Google AI camera was Google Clips.
  • The hosts close with the usual banter, scores, and a reminder to subscribe for the next episodes.