MKBHD updated his Panels app, but didn’t fix the biggest problem

By Patrick Hearn Published October 5, 2024

A screenshot of the Panels app. — Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Last month, MKBHD launched his new wallpaper app, only for it to be met with a huge wave of criticism and backlash over its pricing structure and ads. The popular YouTuber responded to the criticisms in a post on X in a bid to soothe angry fans, but it didn’t have the expected effect.

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

Now the app has been updated to be more consumer-friendly, according to the Verge, but there has been no change to its pricing structure. As many fans pointed out, the cost is a bit steep for a wallpaper app in a time when high-res images can be downloaded straight from Google.

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Previously, Panels users had to sign up for $11.99 per month ($49.99 per year) to access images in full resolution. There is a free tier, but it once required users to watch two ads before downloading standard-definition wallpapers. That requirement is gone now; you can download standard wallpapers without watching ads.

Panels also took things a step further and removed the ads from its wallpaper discovery page while also adding more art to the lineup. These changes are steps in the right direction, although the pricing is still a huge point of contention. If you pay monthly, you’re spending over $90 more per year than with the annual payment. As many fans pointed out, the entire project feels “icky” — much more like a cash grab than the quality content people have come to expect from MKBHD.

Of course, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the pricing didn’t change. MKBHD said in his tweet, “It’s our own personal challenge to work to deliver that kind of value for the premium version.” It seems clear he intends to stick with the current pricing, but presenting enough value in a wallpaper app to justify the cost is an uphill battle.

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