I tried MKBHD's Panels wallpaper app - sorry chief, this ain't it

Update 16/10/24 09:05 am (IST): In a dedicated video titled, “Let’s Talk About Panels,” MKBHD acknowledged that the initial pricing was a mistake. He admitted that the app needed work and that he would have given it a negative review if he were reviewing it himself.

To improve the app, his team made several changes, such as removing in-feed ads, making all wallpapers available in 1080p for free, and allowing users to get full-resolution wallpapers by watching a 30-second ad. They have also introduced a more affordable subscription tier for those who want to remove ads on individual wallpapers.

Additionally, MKBHD addressed concerns about the app’s data tracking and clarified that the broad list of items in the App Privacy section was due to a mistake and that the app does not collect user data without their consent. He also assured users that the app will not be filled with AI-generated content. Moreover, the wallpapers that have some AI-assistance will clearly be marked. You can watch the whole video below:

Update 07/10/24 11:25 am (IST): It seems like all the criticism didn’t go unnoticed. MKBHD’s Panels app picked up a new update that eliminated the excess amount of ads in the app. Furthermore, free users can now download high-resolution images after watching a single ad, instead of needing a subscription. This was one of my biggest frustrations with the app and I’m glad to see the team address it. I’m going to revisit the app and would suggest you give it a second shot too.

Original article published on September 25, 2024, follows:

Marques Brownlee, otherwise known as MKBHD, dropped a new wallpaper app called Panels to give fans quick access to wallpapers used in his videos and more. However, in hindsight, this might have been one of MKBHD’s biggest mistakes since starting YouTube.

Soon after the popular tech YouTuber announced the availability of the app for Android and iOS, I rushed to download Panels on an iPhone. Look, I’m someone who’s always on the lookout for unique new wallpapers. So when a new promising wallpaper app pops up, I’m always ready to check it out.

Once downloaded, I opened the Panels wallpaper app and immediately got slapped with a pop-up asking me to allow the app to track my “activity across other companies’ apps and websites.” That’s a strange permission for a simple wallpaper app. Anyway, I tapped the “Ask App Not To Track” option and moved on. Next you’ll see a login screen where you can sign in with Apple, Google, Join Panels+ or just skip the sign in part for now.

I decided to skip signing in and moved forward. Instead of finally getting to the wallpapers, there’s another page to turn off/on notifications, bug reporting, newsletter, and finally it’ll ask you to agree to the terms and conditions. I’d suggest toggling off the switch for the newsletter to prevent your email from unnecessary spam.

Once done, the app asks you to select five artists from a bunch so that it can show you wallpapers from those artists on your home feed. You can tap on the artist’s profile to see their work and decide. After selecting five artists, the app’s finally ready for you to explore. But…but…but, that’s where things take a turn for the worst.

The app’s UI is basic and lacks the polish you’d see in other wallpapers apps for iOS and Android. There are three tabs on the bottom navigation bar — For You, Explore, and Account. The ‘For You’ feed shows wallpapers from the artists you picked during the setup process. You can also swipe over and see the wallpapers you liked, and another swipe will get you the Library section, where you’ll see the wallpapers you’ve purchased.

The Explore tab, as the name suggests, shows random wallpapers in a vertical scrolling list. You can search for wallpapers too. On top of the page, you’ll also see a few collections that you can scroll through horizontally, such as “As seen on MKBHD,” Wallpaper of the Week,” and “Collection of the Week,” and more.

Last but not the least, the Account tab will show you your profile (if signed in), along with settings to change the theme of the app as well as the app icon. That still doesn’t seem too bad, right? Well, once you start scrolling through the feed, you’ll notice a bunch of ads left right and center. But the real kicker here is when you try downloading a wallpaper.

You literally have to watch two ads to unlock a wallpaper in SD resolution. Yes, Standard Resolution. TWO ADS! If you don’t want a low quality wallpaper, you will have to cough up $59.99 a year (the price is apparently discounted by 68%) or pay a whopping $15.99 a month. In my neck of the woods (India), I can get a premium Netflix subscription and X Premium for around the same price together. What’s even more mind-boggling is that some wallpapers are just solid colors that you need to pay for, like orange and teal.

After being disappointed to the core with the app, I took to X and realized I wasn’t alone. This crazy pricing for a wallpaper app has led some tech enthusiasts calling the whole thing a “cash grab.” A quick search on X shows hundreds, if not thousands, of users have criticized MKBHD for launching the app in this condition, especially considering the fact that MKBHD has been critical of other companies launching products that required a lot more R&D and expertise.

Someone even created a hilarious AI-generated video where MKBHD reviews his own Panels app:

Great to get AI @MKBHD take on his latest product panels https://t.co/LcKM5b7RUf pic.twitter.com/ZcfEtwsduO

— Ross Cefalu (@ross_cefalu) September 24, 2024

The sheer amount of criticism from fans, tech enthusiasts, and even some other big names in the industry has not gone unnoticed. Marques took to X to acknowledge the major issues with the app, stating:

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 your location, internet history, etc. The data disclosures (that everyone is screenshotting) is likely too broad, and largely driven by what the ad networks suggest. Working to fix that ASAP.

As far as pricing, I hear you! It’s our own personal challenge to work to deliver that kind of value for the premium version. (Weekly Friday drops are already starting) I’ll also be dialing back ad frequency for the free experience 👍🏾

Much more to come. I appreciate you all.

So it seems there’s still some hope left for MKBHD’s new Panels app. But the damage is already done! Other tech creators who also have their own wallpaper apps have taken this opportunity to draw attention towards their apps, which are much more affordable and have a vast library too.

One individual has even gone as far as to reverse engineer the Panels wallpaper app to create a program that downloads all the wallpapers from MKBHD’s app. I won’t link back to the GitHub resource for obvious reasons, but it just goes to show that no one’s willing to pay a relatively big amount just to change their wallpapers. And I’m in the same boat too!

Don’t get me wrong. Artists and app developers do deserve to get paid for their hard work, but charging an exorbitant amount isn’t the way. For instance, I paid a small fee for Backdrops Pro years ago, and it’s still my go-to wallpaper app. No subscriptions, no ads! There are multiple other apps like Walli, FreshWalls, and Lumina Wallpapers (Android only) that offer some great wallpapers without charging a big fee.

That said, we’ll have to wait and see if Marques and his team bring down the subscription fee to a more reasonable price or not. Until then, let’s just chuckle at this meme: