WTF is a Googlebook?

Summary of WTF is a Googlebook?

by MKBHD

1h 39m•September 18, 2026
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Overview of Waveform Podcast: “WTF is a Googlebook?”

Marques, Andrew, and David cover a packed TechTember episode centered on the newly teased Googlebook, then pivot into detailed reactions to the iPhone 18 Pro, YouTube view inflation, the Steam Frame VR headset, a rumored Meta mixed-reality headset, and Tesla’s long-delayed Roadster event announcement. The episode mixes real product analysis with the show’s usual banter, trivia, and running jokes about colors, licensing, and platform quirks.

Main Topics Discussed

Googlebook: Google’s premium laptop push

  • Google appears to be teasing a new “Googlebook” category of premium laptops.
  • The landing page suggests these devices are:
    • “Designed for Gemini intelligence”
    • Built with high-quality materials
    • Meant to combine the best of Chrome OS and Android
  • A prominent light bar is shown repeatedly in teasers, strongly implying it’s a defining design element.
  • Possible hardware partners mentioned:
    • Acer
    • Asus
    • Dell
    • HP
    • Lenovo
  • The hosts speculate this may be Google’s attempt to create a more premium, ecosystem-connected laptop experience for Android users.
  • They also note confusion about the branding and whether Google will make its own first-party version or leave it to partners.

iPhone 18 Pro: camera, chip, battery, and design thoughts

  • The crew calls it more of an “S year” update: not a huge redesign, but meaningful internal improvements.
  • Major takeaways:
    • A20 Pro chip is very impressive, with top-tier single-core performance and improved efficiency.
    • A larger vapor chamber and chip layout changes help with heat management.
    • Battery life is described as excellent, with real-world use holding up very well.
  • Camera changes are the highlight:
    • Apple reportedly reworked the image pipeline
    • There’s less sharpening and less of the “plasticky smartphone” look
    • Better shadow handling and more natural color are noticeable
    • The new variable aperture is interesting, though not necessarily a must-have for most users
  • Marquez and David go back and forth on the phone’s colors:
    • Matte black gets a lot of love
    • Burgundy becomes an unexpectedly intense debate
  • The hosts also note:
    • Camera Control still feels awkward in practice
    • Under-display Face ID may be slightly less reliable at some angles
    • Apple’s charging speeds are better than expected, with the phone hitting unusually high wattage in testing
  • Marquez again pushes for 8K video, arguing the hardware is ready and Apple should let pros enable it.

YouTube “view inflation” and engaged views

  • The team shares actual numbers from several recent Apple-related videos.
  • Core issue:
    • Public view counts are now much higher than engaged views
    • In multiple examples, engaged views land at roughly half of the public number
  • They’re frustrated because:
    • It makes performance feel inflated or misleading
    • It’s harder to tell what is truly performing well
    • The big “1 million views” milestone doesn’t feel the same anymore
  • Still, they acknowledge the data is useful for comparing reach vs. real engagement.

Crunchyroll / YouTube licensing weirdness

  • Adam brings up a strange issue with an anime rewatch:
    • Episodes appeared and disappeared seemingly at random inside YouTube’s Crunchyroll integration
  • The group concludes it’s probably a licensing or ingestion issue
  • This leads to a broader discussion about how music and distribution rights can make content vanish from platforms unexpectedly.

Steam Frame: Valve’s new VR headset

  • The hosts briefly discuss Valve’s Steam Frame, a new standalone VR headset.
  • Main points:
    • Starts at $1,059
    • Can run standalone, but is especially interesting when streaming from a PC
    • Uses foveated streaming to send high-quality data where you’re looking and lower detail in the periphery
    • A 6 GHz dongle and multi-path networking help with low-latency streaming
  • Positives:
    • Strong engineering and streaming quality
    • Great for serious VR gamers
  • Downsides:
    • Pass-through cameras are not great
    • Battery life sounds short
    • A top strap feels essential but is sold separately in an accessory pack

Meta’s rumored slim headset

  • The show also touches on a rumored Meta device that looks like a slimmer, more mixed-reality-focused headset
  • The guess is that it’s meant more for:
    • Productivity
    • Office-style use
    • Virtual screens and pass-through work
  • Less likely to be something people wear in public

Tesla Roadster event teaser

  • Tesla has announced an October 1 Roadster event
  • The hosts revisit the long history of:
    • The original Roadster promises
    • The huge specs Tesla teased years ago
    • The long delays and unanswered questions
  • Discussion points:
    • The rumored SpaceX cold gas thrusters
    • Possible “jumping” or other wild demo features
    • Whether any of this is actually road-legal
  • Marquez notes he even had a $50,000 Roadster reservation at one point and later got it refunded
  • The group expects the event to be more of a reveal/demo than a real shipping launch

Running Themes and Notable Takeaways

Apple is getting better at the camera software side

  • The biggest praise for the iPhone 18 Pro is not the hardware alone, but the more natural photo processing
  • Less over-sharpening and more realistic shadows/color stood out the most

Ecosystem matters more than raw specs

  • Googlebook feels like a serious attempt to make Android + laptop integration actually useful
  • The group thinks this may finally be Google’s best shot at a real ecosystem play on laptops

VR is still waiting on the “must-have” moment

  • Valve and Meta are still experimenting with the tradeoffs between:
    • Power
    • Comfort
    • Pass-through quality
    • Battery life
  • The Steam Frame sounds technically impressive, but not yet like a mass-market win

Tesla’s credibility is still part of the story

  • The Roadster teaser works partly because Tesla has history, hype, and a long memory of promises
  • But the hosts remain skeptical that this leads to a real, near-term shipping car

Trivia Segment

  • The episode ends with a trivia challenge using the 8-Vim keyboard, which the hosts find nearly impossible to use.
  • Final trivia answer:
    • Early Chromebook demo areas in stores were called “Chrome Zones”
  • No points were awarded during the keyboard challenge, and the team joked about how unusable the typing setup was.

Bottom Line

This episode is a mix of real product analysis and classic Waveform chaos. The strongest substantive discussion is around the iPhone 18 Pro’s improved camera processing, but the most interesting business/product story is arguably Googlebook, which could signal a more ambitious premium laptop strategy for Google’s ecosystem.