Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, is a tech-focused content creator with nearly 20 million YouTube subscribers, famous for his reviews of the latest gadgets.
He ran into the likes of the Humane Ai Pin and the Rabbit R1 with headlines like “Worst Product I’ve Ever Reviewed” and “Or Shouldn’t Be Reviewed,” but praised the Apple Vision Pro (despite calling it flawed), the OnePlus 12, and other products.
However, an experienced, and undoubtedly respected, reviewer has recently released a new wallpaper system called Panels. And if X (formerly Twitter) is anything to go by (and Apple’s App Store updates), the app’s reception has been poor.
Even Jesse Lyu, the CEO behind the Rabbit R1, was seen showing some schadenfreude in the wake of the wave of criticism Brownlee has faced online, he shared this meme with his followers.
The Tweet may have been deleted
The meme portrays Brownlee as a grim reaper, mocking how some critics see the YouTube user as a “buddy killer” for his candid updates. (When Brownlee reviewed the Humane Ai Pin, for example, there was a discussion about whether his harshness was hindering the growth of small-time gadget makers.)
The meme shows Humane Ai Pin founder Imran Chaudhri, Lyu, and Apple CEO Tim Cook as victims of Brownlee’s sharp tongue. Interestingly, the last person on the list is Brownlee himself, which means that YouTube’s latest work should be subjected to his harsh criticism.
MKBHD’s new panel app is getting bad reviews
It’s not just Lyu, however, who has been trolling Brownlee. The Panels app, featured in Brownlee’s new iPhone 16 review video, is designed to offer a curated collection of glossy wallpapers from artists.
Credit: Apple
“I am very excited to introduce this app!” Brownlee said in a September 23 post X. “People have been asking where I get wallpapers FOREVER, so here’s the answer, now and forever: PANELS!”
However, the responses below Brownlee’s post don’t seem to match his enthusiasm.
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“I’m very disappointed in this,” said Ian Zelbo. “It doesn’t have the polish/design I would expect. It looks like something that was already in the App Store that you already put your name to. Ads all over the place and it just feels like a rip off to me”
“The app is rubbish, you can get better wallpapers, with great graphics for free right here and many other accounts on X,” said Corbin Williams.
“This hurts your brand,” says Alex Kehr. “It’s crazy that the #1 tech reviewer known for standing for quality and usefulness released a subscription app that has a bad UI design, is full of ads, and offers mediocre wallpapers.”
“Take this trash away and pretend it was a joke,” suggested bl0rq.
Based on the responses, as The Verge pointed out, it seems that users are not happy that the iOS version of Panels asks if it can track user activity. One of the data points is reportedly monitoring the area. (Though, as you’ll learn later, Brownlee disputes this claim.)
In addition, the app requires users to sign up for an annual subscription of $49.99 or a membership of $11.99 per month. There are some wallpapers you can access for free, but only a few — and they’re standard (not high-res). But first, to access them, users have to watch two ads.
“$50/year for WALLPAPERS?! And not a single glossy wallpaper to download for free with ads? Love group MKBHD and all, but that’s crazy,” Nevan said.
“Part of your reviews are like ‘uh it’s expensive and doesn’t really do anything’ lol you should review yourself,” cometcalls said.
MKBHD answers the question
In response, Brownlee tweeted on September 24 that, in part, he said, “I hear you!”
In response to privacy concerns, Brownlee said the following: “The first thing we’re doing is to fix excessive data disclosure, as people are fairly exposed. To be transparent, we will never ask you for your location, internet history, etc. data disclosure (that everyone is taking screenshots ) is probably much broader, and mostly driven by what the ad networks say.”
As for pricing, Brownlee said that delivering value for the premium version is a personal challenge — and he plans to dial up the frequency of ads for free information, with more updates to come.
The Panels app is not MKBHD’s first foray into business. For example, Brownlee has collaborated with Atoms for a line of sneakers and accessories maker Ridge.
The road ahead for Brownlee’s Panels app seems uncertain, but with a dedicated following and the promise of development, there is still hope for redemption.