The reviews aren’t good for MKBHD’s new wallpaper app

Prominent tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, aka MKBHD, released a wallpaper app called Panels this week for iOS and Android, and the internet was quick to react to its steep price of $12 per month.

Panels features curated high-quality digital wallpapers from artists for free. However, users must pay about $50 per year or $12 monthly for ad-free, high-resolution images. The app aims to support digital artists by splitting payments with them.

But, it has faced criticism for its pricing model, which seems excessive to several users. Privacy concerns also arose when users discovered that Panels could track user data.

Brownlee is an influential tech reviewer with nearly 20 million YouTube subscribers.

The criticism comes when he is known for not mincing his words while reviewing a product. In the past, he has posted negative product reviews of startups like Fisker and Humane, which led to their downfall.

Now that roles are reversed, can he take criticism for his product?

MKBHD fans are upset that his subscription cost is much higher than that of similar apps. Panels allows users to download one standard quality wallpaper after they view two ads.

People are also not happy that the app on iOS asks for permission to track activity on other websites.

Brownlee has acknowledged the issues customers have pointed out. He said he is working to address them.

Despite the controversies, the Panels app ranks No. 1 in the Photo & Video category on the iOS App Store in several countries, reports TechCrunch.