EXCLUSIVE: Lots of Drama Around OnePlus

WVFRM Podcast

  • Jan 23, 2026
  • 1:22:37
  • Full Episode

This week, the crew sits down to chat about everything from ads in ChatGPT and Threads to some OnePlus drama that just leads to reminiscing about old OnePlus phones. There is also a whole lot of new features coming to YouTube that we couldn't help but discuss. Enjoy!

Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:57 - Netflix Introduces Live Voting 00:05:13 - OpenAI adding ads 00:13:48 - Nova Launcher news 00:17:40 - Sony + TCL 00:22:40 - Threads is getting Ads 00:30:03 - Ad break 00:30:13 - OnePlus Drama 00:51:55 - Ad break 00:52:05 Verizon Outage 00:56:19 - YouTube State of the Union 01:16:24 - Trivia

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Links: TechCrunch - Netflix live voting feature: https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/20/netflix-is-rolling-out-a-live-voting-feature/ Reddit - Taipei 101 ball: https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/xhpg44/the_taipei_101_stabilizing_ball_during_the_72/ OpenAI - Ads on ChatGPT: https://openai.com/es-419/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/ Verge - Sony x TCL: https://www.theverge.com/tech/864745/sony-tcl-tvs-partnership-explained Android Headlines - OnePlus article: https://www.androidheadlines.com/exclusive-oneplus-collapse YouTube - State of the Union: https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/the-future-of-youtube-2026/

Music provided by: Epidemic Sound

Social: Waveform Threads: https://www.threads.net/@waveformpodcast Waveform Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waveformpodcast/?hl=en Waveform TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@waveformpodcast

Hosts: Marques: https://www.threads.net/@mkbhd Andrew: https://www.threads.net/@andrew_manganelli David: https://www.threads.net/@davidimel Adam: https://www.threads.net/@parmesanpapi17 Ellis: https://twitter.com/EllisRovin

Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/mkbhd

Intro/Outro music by 20syl: https://bit.ly/2S53xlC

Waveform is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Corrections: 01:16:02 He is not 8.5 feet tall, he’s 260cm tall (I bet this didn't even work)

Brief Summary

OpenAI and Nova Launcher add ads; Sony partners with TCL for TVs; YouTube's future discussed by CEO Neil Mohan.

Key points

  • Alex Honnold's Live Climb. Alex Honnold attempts a live climb of Taipei 101 on Netflix, raising safety concerns.
  • OpenAI's New Ad Strategy. OpenAI is introducing ads in its lower-tier ChatGPT plans, contradicting previous promises.
  • Nova Launcher Nostalgia. A heartfelt reminiscence about the peak phone experience with Nova Launcher.
  • Threads Rolling Out Ads. Threads begins rolling out ads globally, stirring discussions about user engagement.
  • AI in Journalism. A site owner admits to using AI for structuring an article, raising eyebrows.
  • The OnePlus Arc. Discussion on the rise and fall of OnePlus as a brand.

Tension

45/ 100Some tension

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