Can the iPhone 17 Pro Beat a Leica?

Summary of Can the iPhone 17 Pro Beat a Leica?

by Vox Media Podcast Network

1h 20m•October 3, 2025
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Episode Summary — "Can the iPhone 17 Pro Beat a Leica?"

Vox Media Podcast Network — Waveform Podcast
Hosts: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD), Andrew, David

Overview

This episode covers a loose mix of hands‑on hardware demos, recent product drops from Amazon and Google, a photo challenge (iPhone vs Leica M11), and a short conversation with filmmaker James Cameron about first‑person and 3D storytelling. The tone is casual and conversational, mixing technical detail with product impressions and humor.

Key Points & Main Takeaways

  • Meta Ray‑Ban smart glasses (with Neural Band)

    • Hosts demoed the $800 Ray‑Ban Meta Display glasses that include the Neural Band.
    • Impressions: bright, readable AR UI in certain angles, noticeably thick but not as obvious as earlier AR demos. Usability benefits if you’re in Meta’s messaging ecosystem (WhatsApp), but limited until ecosystem is adopted more broadly.
    • Wearing reaction is mixed: sometimes looks like thick bifocals, sometimes blends in.

  • Logitech MX Master 4

    • Incremental but solid update: improved materials, USB‑C dongle (for storage), haptic thumb pad/button and customizable “action ring.”
    • Action ring enables programmable shortcuts; some app integrations (Adobe suite) work very well, but some quirks (history scrolling in Photoshop).
    • Note: dongle storage in the charging port is tight and hard to remove — PSA.

  • Amazon product event (new Echo/Fire product line)

    • New Echo Show 8 (720p) and Show 11 (1080p, 13MP wide camera) — priced $179.99 / $219.99 and likely to go on sale for Prime Day.
    • Echo Dot Max (bigger, higher‑quality speaker), new Echo Studio (supports Dolby Atmos/spatial), new Ring cameras with AI upscaling (“retinal vision”).
    • Kindle Scribe Color — Amazon’s e‑ink/color tablet to compete with reMarkable. Expensive: $630 for a model; other Scribe variants at $430 and plus model.
    • Fire TV Omni QLEDs and new budget TV lineup — aimed at holiday/Black Friday buys.

  • Google Home / Nest rework + Gemini integration

    • Google is consolidating Nest into Google Home; Nest app being phased out.
    • New Google Home speaker (bold color options) — shipping Spring 2026; other new doorbells/cameras available now.
    • Gemini Live is being integrated into Google Home devices: natural conversations, AI search through 60‑day event history, detailed event descriptions (e.g., "UPS guy holding flowers").
    • Subscription tiers (Google Home Premium / AI Pro / AI Ultra) will gate some features; rollout/pricing is somewhat confusing in their communications.

  • Photo challenge: iPhone (Halide RAW on iPhone 17 Pro) vs Leica M11

    • David shot a series in the French Alps with both Leica M11 and an iPhone using Halide RAW.
    • Results surprised hosts: several iPhone RAW images matched or even beat Leica captures in these conditions. The episode illustrates how modern smartphone raw/capture pipelines are extremely capable in good light.
    • Takeaway: dedicated cameras still offer the shooting experience and certain advantages, but phone cameras are "freaky good" and often indistinguishable in many scenarios.

  • James Cameron interview clip (first‑person cameras & 3D)

    • Cameron believes first‑person filmmaking is viable and interesting: "the filmmaker becomes the character."
    • He argues stereoscopic/3D is a natural progression for immersive content: "650 million years of evolution says yes" (two eyes => depth engagement).
    • He expects native stereo capture to outperform AI depth conversion in real‑time for some time, especially for live experiences.

Notable Quotes & Insights

  • James Cameron: "The filmmaker becomes the character." — on first‑person filmmaking.
  • James Cameron: "650 million years of Evolution says yes" — arguing stereoscopic (3D) content is a natural evolution of visual storytelling.
  • Host observation on phone vs Leica: smartphone RAW photos can be surprisingly competitive in bright conditions — "freaky good."

Topics Discussed (at a glance)

  • Meta Ray‑Ban Display glasses + Neural Band (hands‑on)
  • Logitech MX Master 4 mouse (features & usability)
  • Microsoft XP Crocs (show & tell)
  • Amazon product event — new Echo devices, Echo Dot Max, Echo Studio, Kindle Scribe Color, Fire TV Omni QLEDs, Ring cameras
  • Google Home rebrand, Gemini Live integration, Home Premium subscription
  • Photography test: iPhone RAW (Halide) vs Leica M11
  • James Cameron discussion on first‑person/3D film and immersive media
  • Trivia and sponsor reads (Shopify, Life360, Miro, Zapier, etc.)

Action Items & Recommendations

  • If you follow AR/ambient computing:
    • Watch the hosts' Ray‑Ban vs Vision Pro comparison video (they mentioned a video) for deeper hands‑on impressions.
    • Try Ray‑Ban demos only if you’re in the Meta messaging ecosystem — the glasses are more useful with WhatsApp/Meta integrations.
  • For mouse/desktop productivity users:
    • Consider the MX Master 4 for its haptic controls and USB‑C dongle, but be cautious about dongle storage difficulty.
    • Explore pairing customizable hardware (MX Master 4 action ring) with software like Raycast for macro productivity gains.
  • For smart home buyers:
    • Delay non‑urgent purchases until Prime Day/Black Friday — Amazon’s new Echo/TV gear will likely see discounts.
    • If you use Nest devices, watch for Google Home app migration and Gemini integration details; review subscription tier changes (names/pricing).
  • For readers/shooters:
    • If you value the tactile shooting experience and specific lens options, keep a dedicated camera (Leica/M system). If you want one‑device convenience and great results in daylight, modern phone RAW apps are convincingly capable.
  • For creators interested in immersive content:
    • Explore stereoscopic capture and first‑person workflows; native stereo will remain advantageous for real‑time/live immersion for the near future.

If you want, I can:

  • Extract the specific photo comparisons (original images or slides) into a compact visual gallery with annotations.
  • Pull timestamps and create a short highlights timeline for listening/skimming.
  • Summarize just the product recommendations with buy/hold/skip guidance. Which would be most helpful?