Popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, better known as “MKBHD,” launched a new app called “Panels,” a mobile wallpaper app on Tuesday. However, the reviews and comments have been mixed social media platforms.
What Happened: Brownlee announced about the app on the intro of his review video of the new iPhone 16 by Apple Inc.
“You guys have been asking me where I get my wallpapers…So now we have put them all in one place. It’s called ‘Panels’ and it’s finally live in the App store, both on iOS and Android; feels really good to be able to say that,” Brownlee said.
The app has tons of collections of wallpapers submitted by artists, including his team members such as David Imel, Vinh Dang and Brandon Havard. These wallpapers range from nature photography to abstract 3D designs and more.
The “Panels” app is available in a freemium model for users across the world. However, there is a catch.
Users need to watch at least two ads to download any wallpaper in standard quality or SD. To download the same in 4K, one needs to pay around $50 per year as a subscription fee.
“We have some pretty big plans for this thing. So it’s starting off as a wallpaper app. Now I don’t want to overpromise too much, but it’s going to be pretty consistently improving over time, which is part of the reason why we are offering a subscription to support it,” Brownlee said during the video.
Many are excited at the launch of an official app from the MKBHD team.
“Launching on iOS and Android at the same time is ELITE,” wrote a user on X.
“This is singlehandedly the best YouTuber product ever,” another person wrote.
However, others are divided about the app’s pricing, content quality and the strategy to promote the app, especially when Brownlee has often voiced his disapproval of picking up gadgets or software that promise for developments in the future.
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Fellow tech YouTuber Linus Sebastian, known for his channel “Linus Tech Tips” commended the “intent” of the app, but suggested reducing the subscription fee, removing all the tracking and seeking help from people with expertise in native development.
“…this is an honest review, and I truly hope you take some of this feedback and turn this idea around, because the mission is noble and much needed,” Linus wrote.
Dan O’Leary, an independent iOS app developer, shared a screen recording on X of the data collected through the Panels app.
“That’s a lot of data to sell wallpapers,” he wrote.
That's a lot of data to sell wallpapers. pic.twitter.com/TjwvSZHSK6
— Dan O'Leary (@olearydan) September 24, 2024
On Reddit, a few users have compared the subscription price with other services like Amazon Prime and Spotify. As of September, an Amazon Prime subscription is priced at $14.99 per month and $139 per year, while a Spotify subscription is free for the first month and then $11.99 per month after, with different pricing for students..
Brownlee and his team have yet to respond to Benzinga’s queries.
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