Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, has long been one of the most influential figures in tech review circles. With over 20 million YouTube subscribers, his opinion carries significant weight, especially in consumer electronics.
However, his recent venture into the app market with the release of “Panels,” a wallpaper app priced at $49.99 per year, has sparked heated debate online. Fans and followers were quick to express their thoughts on the pricing and privacy issues, with some embracing the concept and others voicing strong concerns.
What is the Panels App?
Released in tandem with his review of the new iPhone 16, “Panels” is MKBHD’s attempt to address a frequently asked question from his audience: “Where do you get your wallpapers?” The app is designed to provide users with access to high-resolution, curated wallpapers from a range of digital artists, including members of Brownlee’s own team.
And now – I’m so pumped to be launching this app! People have asked where I get wallpapers FOREVER, so this is the answer, now and forever: PANELS!@panels_art
Available on iOS or Android https://t.co/sl7fitBKDt pic.twitter.com/b0u9h9Py6p
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) September 23, 2024
Available for both iOS and Android, the app offers a wide selection of wallpapers, from nature photography to abstract 3D designs.
Panels operates on a freemium model. Users can access standard-definition wallpapers for free, but they must watch at least two advertisements to download them. To unlock the full potential of the app, including access to 4K wallpapers, users need to subscribe to the premium version, priced at $49.99 per year or $11.99 per month. While this premium version promises weekly updates with new wallpaper drops, the pricing has raised eyebrows.
Why the Backlash?
While Brownlee’s app was anticipated to be a hit among his large fan base, the immediate reaction was far from universally positive. Social media platforms were quickly flooded with critical posts. One of the main issues was the subscription price, which many users found too high for what is essentially a wallpaper app.
Many questioned the idea of paying $50 annually for wallpapers, pointing out that subscription fees for major services like Amazon Prime and Spotify offer more comprehensive features at comparable prices.
One X user wrote, “Imagine paying $50 for wallpapers when you could subscribe to Spotify or Prime for less.” Others went as far as calling the app a “cash grab” and accused Brownlee of betraying the principles he built his tech review empire on.
A notable concern was also related to the app’s data privacy practices. Screenshots of the app’s privacy disclosures revealed that Panels could track users’ location, internet usage, and personal identifiers across different apps and websites.
These revelations amplified the backlash, with some feeling uneasy about the amount of data being collected for a wallpaper app. One developer on X shared a screen recording of the data being gathered, stating, “That’s a lot of data to sell wallpapers.”
Brownlee’s Response to the Criticism
As the criticism mounted, Marques Brownlee took to social media to address the backlash. Acknowledging the concerns about both the pricing and the app’s data collection practices, Brownlee assured his followers that his team was working on resolving the issues.
On the data privacy concerns, Brownlee clarified that the app would never ask for users’ location, internet history, or personal data intentionally. He explained that the broad data disclosures were likely a result of ad networks’ recommendations rather than deliberate overreach by the app itself. “First thing we’re doing is fixing the excessive data disclosures. For transparency, we’d never actually ask for your location, internet history, etc.,” he tweeted.
Part of building in public is getting mass feedback immediately, which is pretty dope. Almost exactly like publishing a YouTube video
First thing we’re doing is fixing the excessive data disclosures, as people rightfully brought up. For transparency, we’d never actually ask for…
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) September 24, 2024
Regarding the subscription cost, Brownlee acknowledged that the target audience for a premium wallpaper app was “insanely small.”
However, he emphasised that his team was committed to justifying the price by providing a steady stream of high-quality content through the weekly wallpaper drops. He also mentioned that the frequency of ads for free users would be reduced, aiming to improve the overall user experience for those not subscribing to the premium version.
Mixed Reactions from the Tech Community
While many of Brownlee’s followers voiced frustration, some members of the tech community were more understanding. Fellow tech YouTuber Linus Sebastian, known for his channel Linus Tech Tips, praised the intent behind Panels, though he recommended lowering the subscription cost and removing the tracking data. Linus also suggested seeking help from experts in native app development to streamline the app’s functionality.
Some fans also pointed out the positive side of the app, particularly Brownlee’s efforts to support digital artists at a time when AI-generated art is becoming more prevalent. In an era where artists are seeing their work increasingly devalued, Brownlee’s move to provide a platform for showcasing high-quality digital art was seen as a welcome initiative. One user tweeted, “Appreciate what MKBHD is trying to do for digital artists. More power to him.”
