Marques Brownlee is a star on YouTube, but currently, he is stirring up debates with an app for screen backgrounds, and he has now responded.
Who is selling wallpapers for how much? Panels, that’s the name of a new app that you can download from the iOS and Android app stores. The tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee introduced this app to his nearly 230 million followers and the general public on September 24, 2024 – however, he is receiving hardly any positive feedback, rather the complete opposite.
What does the app offer? The basic idea is the following: Are you looking for screen backgrounds for PC, smartphone, or tablet? Then you can download 1080p versions of wallpapers for free via Brownlee’s app. However, you will have to watch one or more ads per download first.
You can also buy individual collections in high resolution for about 7 euros directly or sign up for a subscription, which, even at a significant discount, costs around 45 euros a year.
Just like Brownlee, the head of Artesian Builds ruined himself with a single decision:
Marques Brownlee is under criticism – despite attempts to save face
What annoys people the most? X user Shea summarizes the issues with the prices and more clearly and receives a lot of agreement for it:
- The app requires access to the device’s location
- Terrible design and animations
- Ads are ubiquitous
- 50 dollars per year for the subscription
- The wallpapers are not even really good
Ultimately, the sober conclusion is: Marques has lost my respect.
Gavin Smith expresses similar sentiments on X and points out the disappointment of the long-time fans of the YouTube star:
I just can’t wrap my head around how someone can build a top reputation in the tech scene over the years and then destroy it virtually overnight. And all this for a piece of crap wallpaper app that is riddled with ads, tracks location, and costs 11.99 US dollars per month. What the hell?
How does Marques Brownlee respond? He pledges improvement. Via X, he addressed his followers. First, the team behind the app wants to address the privacy settings, including the currently necessary location request. This was not intended. The premium prices will be monitored and adjusted, while initially, the ads in the free version will be reduced somewhat.
Is that enough for the fans? Currently, it is hard to assess, but the trend suggests a failure of the app – at least regarding Reddit, X, and Co. Because even the unofficial forum for the YouTuber on Reddit is overflowing with memes. His former fans are particularly upset with the attempt to charge money for something that can be downloaded for free in bulk. For many, it smells like blatant scam targeting inexperienced internet users.
It gets particularly piquant when the YouTuber’s 2016 tweet is referenced on Reddit. There he names his golden rule number 1 for the internet: Never ask for money for something that has been free until now.
15,000 upvotes within a day speak a clear language.
If you want to dive deeper into the world of tech YouTubers, you will find interesting articles in the links above. Or you can read how JayzTwoCents finds a PC bargain on the used market and remarkably speeds it up with two simple settings. Maybe the options used here are still buried untouched in your UEFI.
