Tech Rewind 2021!

Tech Rewind 2021 is a reflective year-end summary from MKBHD that blends a personal channel-wide montage with forward-looking observations about where the tech world is headed. The video opens with Marques Marquesd highlighting the scale of output across his channels, noting that 93 main videos were produced on the primary channel in 2021, alongside new formats for Waveform, Waveform Clips, and The Studio. He emphasizes a philosophy of balancing quantity with quality, stating a goal to be both more and better, not merely more of the same. The first major theme he identifies is the enduring rise of short-form content, pointing to the rapid adoption of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts as evidence that quick, accessible videos are here to stay. He also teases future experimentation with Shorts on dedicated channels, while insisting that the content should be genuinely good, not just popular. The narrative then shifts to NFTs and crypto, where Marques recaps the year’s explosion of interest, the Beeple NFT sale, and ongoing discussions around digital ownership and blockchain at large, while inviting viewer input on whether to expand crypto coverage in 2022. He moves from this crypto lens to the impact of custom silicon, noting Apple’s M1 line and Google’s Tensor chip as pivotal shifts that empower more devices to operate efficiently with in-house computing power. The discussion widens to alternate form factors like foldable phones from Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, and others, acknowledging that while not ubiquitous yet, they’re steadily improving and moving toward broader affordability. Finally, the top category of 2021 for Marques is EVs, where he catalogs headlining releases such as Rivian, Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Tesla Model S Plaid, while acknowledging pace and price challenges that will shape 2022. Throughout, he emphasizes the ongoing reality of delays and supply-chain constraints, tempered with optimism for more accessible EV options and continued real-world testing and coverage. He closes with a teaser of five standout tech videos from 2021 that he didn’t publish himself, directing viewers to the description for links and promising continued high-quality coverage in the coming year.

Topics · technology · video-essays · podcast · reviews · science & tech