Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, is a tech-focused content creator with nearly 20 million YouTube subscribers, renowned for his reviews of the latest gadgets.
He has dunked on the likes of the Humane Ai Pin and the Rabbit R1 with titles like “The Worst Product I’ve Ever Reviewed” and “Barely Reviewable,” but praised the Apple Vision Pro (despite calling it flawed), OnePlus 12, and other products.
However, the seasoned, and arguably respected, tech reviewer recently released a new wallpaper app called Panels. And if X (formerly Twitter) is anything to go by (and the Apple App Store reviews), the reception for the app has been poor.
Even Jesse Lyu, the CEO behind Rabbit R1, appeared to display some schadenfreude over the wave of criticism Brownlee has faced online, sharing the following meme with his followers.
The meme depicts Brownlee as the grim reaper, poking fun at how some critics perceive the YouTuber as a “startup killer” with his candid reviews. (When Brownlee reviewed the Humane Ai Pin, for example, there was chatter about whether his harshness thwarts the growth of small-time gadget makers.)
The meme shows Humane Ai Pin co-founder Imran Chaudhri, Lyu, and Apple CEO Tim Cook being victims of Brownlee’s sharp tongue. Interestingly, the last person of the lineup is Brownlee himself, implying that the YouTuber’s latest venture should be subjected to his own brutal critiques.
MKBHD’s new Panels app gets poor reviews
It’s not just Lyu, however, who has been trolling Brownlee. The Panels app, revealed in Brownlee’s new iPhone 16 review video, is designed to offer a curated collection of high-res wallpapers from artists.
Credit: Apple
“I’m so pumped to be launching this app!” Brownlee said in a Sept. 23 X post. “People have asked where I get wallpapers FOREVER, so this is the answer, now and forever: PANELS!”
However, the replies underneath Brownlee’s post don’t appear to match his enthusiasm.
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“Pretty disappointed in this,” Ian Zelbo said. “Doesn’t have the polish / design I’d expect. Seems like something that’s been on the App Store already that you slapped your name on. Ads everywhere and it just all feels like a cash grab to me”
“The app is trash, you can get better, high-res wallpapers for free right here and many other accounts on X,” Corbin Williams said.
“This damages your brand,” said Alex Kehr. “It’s crazy that the #1 tech reviewer known for advocating for quality and usefulness would release a cash-grab subscription app with terrible UI design, filled with ads, and offering mediocre wallpapers.”
“Delete this garbage and pretend it was a joke,” bl0rq suggested.
Based on the replies, as The Verge pointed out, it appears that users are unhappy that the iOS version of Panels asks whether it can track users’ activity. One of the data points that it reportedly monitors is location. (Though, as you’ll read later, Brownlee refutes this claim.)
On top of that, the app requires users to sign up for a $49.99 annual subscription or an $11.99-per-month membership. There are some wallpapers you can access for free, but only a few — and they’re in standard definition (not high-res). But first, to access them, users have to watch two advertisements.
“$50/yr for WALLPAPERS?! And not a single high-res wallpaper downloadable for free with ads? Love team MKBHD and all, but that’s crazy,” Nevan said.
“Half of your reviews are like ‘uh it’s expensive and it doesn’t really do anything’ lol you should review yourself,” cometcalls said.
MKBHD responds to feedback
As a result of the feedback, Brownlee posted a tweet on Sept. 24 that, in part, said, “I hear you!”
In response to privacy concerns, Brownlee said the following: “First thing we’re doing is fixing the excessive data disclosures, as people rightfully brought up. For transparency, we’d never actually ask for your location, internet history, etc. The data disclosures (that everyone is screenshotting) is likely too broad, and largely driven by what the ad networks suggest.”
In regards to pricing, Brownlee said that delivering value for the premium version is a personal challenge — and he plans to dial back ad frequency for the free experience, with more updates to come.
The Panels app isn’t MKBHD’s first foray into an entrepreneurial venture. For example, Brownlee has collaborated with Atoms for a sneaker line as well as accessories maker Ridge.
The road ahead for Brownlee’s Panels app seems uncertain, but with a dedicated following and a promise of improvements, there’s still hope for redemption.
