Members of the congregation, this Wired Wednesday Live was all about why we love tech—but also why we get frustrated when these companies start playing in our face. I kicked it off talking about Google and the Pixel 10a, because to me it feels like they’re basically giving you the same phone with a new number on it. Same form factor, same 8GB RAM/128GB storage setup, and a whole lot of “rinse and repeat,” while trying to charge $499 like it’s some major upgrade. And the wild part? Google out here selling the Pixel 9a and the Pixel 10a at the same $499 on the Google Store. That tells you everything you need to know. Then we took it a step further and talked about Samsung doing the same kind of complacent stuff—especially with the S26 Ultra rumors. I said it straight: if creators are going to hold Google’s feet to the fire for small upgrades, I want that same energy for Samsung when the changes are basically screen tweaks, tiny camera bumps, and the same battery story. We also got into the whole “Samsung can’t do over 5,000mAh” excuse, and I’m not buying it—other brands sell bigger batteries in the U.S. every day. Bottom line: I love tech, but I’m going to call out the nonsense when companies stop pushing the envelope.