2:06 lmao no the most common complaint was "why is there a $50 subscription" not "who would want a wallpaper app" and the fact that you're dodging this question is the only part of this whole thing that actually kinda bothers me
@@AbhayKarmanyeah it’s obviously a high price that is either something you want or something you don’t - people who just complain tend to want it but can’t afford it
It's the podcast; most of us came to listen and relax, lol. We shall see what shall occur! We shall see the mood of the comment section. We shall see how well my comment ages.
@@just_mdd4Cmon man have you never read youtube comments? Come back a few hundred thousand views later and there will be an argument in half the replies of the comments 😂. Idek how. I bet there will be an argument in this reply section at some point lmao.
The Panels comment was so diplomatic. He didn't address these three main concerns at all: 1. The stupid pricing 2. The app having so poor security that all their content can downloaded online for free via a single command 3. 50/50 split which is even worse than what app stores charge
Imagine MKBHD launching a custom music app with 1000 songs made by nobody in particular, then charging more than spotify 🤣🤣🤣. Considering wallpapers are free, the pricing is such an insult to their customers. They have given away their wallpapers before.
#1 The App Is Too Expensive For Me #2 You can 'easily' access the 'paid' version for 'free' #3 ??? #4 Profit And its bad faith to assume the average wallpaper seeker is very stringent on "security" or funds. And it was always billed as "Here's where you can get what I have" and not "Here's where I get things from"
Things Marques did not address about his app. 1.) Why is it $50 a year, $12 a month? That's excessive no matter what excuse you give 2.) Why is it a 50/50 revenue split with the actual artists providing your app with the 1 thing it provides people? That's a worse revenue split than just about any content sharing platform on the internet. 3.) Why is the free tier so aggressively user hostile? Forcing people to watch multiple long video ads just to download a standard definition image. Why are users presented with artists they don't know instead of genres of things they like to choose from? For the bonkers price of the premium service, why does the app have the UX design of baby's first iOS app 4.) Why is the panels site so vague on how often content will be added and what kind of additions in features they should expect? You want people to pay an absurd amount of money while telling them about vague future content that could be bad or things the users don't want. If you don't know what kind of stuff will be added, DON'T DO A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE PROMISING THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW THE QUALITY OF YET Things Marques addressed. 1.) Strawman argument implying some vocal minority spewing a conspiracy theory that Marques rebranded an existing app is indicative of the kind of criticism he was getting. He went out of his way to highlight the most unimportant complaint people had and focused on it like it's the biggest problem people had 2.) Acknowledged that a wallpaper app you pay for won't appeal to most people but in a tongue and cheek way to suggest all the criticism from the people who wouldn't be interested in his app aren't worth listening to and only the people his app is designed for, are. I'm frankly astonished at the doubling down on the tone deafness. I just don't know how to process this. I could edit together dozens of videos of Marques himself shitting on all the things apps and services like his app are doing, and yet he ignores all of that as if it doesn't exist. Like I have to wonder if any of Marques' friends contacted him after his app reveal and told him this just ain't it, or is he in an echo chamber where nobody is willing to tell the review guy his product is atrociously bad. Like Rabbit or Humane AI pin levels of bad
Not sure but if you think when this was recorded, the things they addressed here were the glaring issues at that time, I remember people on day 1 launch were mainly highlighting the ads, panels existed before, and privacy concerns. Then later on in the week people mainly focused on criticizing the $50 and 50/50 split with artists. Let's give em a last chance next podcast, or when mkbhd does a vid about this. Coz a vid about the panels app will definitely gain views since there are "eyeballs" on this controversy
@@wolfgangllanza160 No. All these criticisms existed within the first few hours of his announcement in the iPhone 16 video. Marques addressed the false panels is a rebranded app theory in a thread/tweet within a few hours of the video going live, there was zero reason to re-hash it here. Even if the rumor was correct and it was a rebranded app, that doesn't matter. It'd be like the 100th thing down on the list of issues with the app if it happened to exist in the past as some obscure thing. This was his opportunity to have a candid conversation addressing *all* of people's criticisms, whether valid or invalid. Instead he brushed it under the rug. He also has not discussed it on threads or X or any other platform since his initial responses after the iPhone 16 video.
So just unsubscribe and stop watching him .. very simple! Just because in some videos he criticized certain prices of certain products the way YOU and the AUDIENCE LIKE YOU want to hear, doesnt mean he believes in it. He is a youtuber, he needs views .. if he says things you like, you will watch, if he doesnt, you wont. Now that he has millions of subs, he doesnt care about the few that dont like him. And if a few unsubscribe it wont matter. I would totally do the same if I was him. And you would too, and everyone else. It's human nature and business nature.
@@nhso789 You said a whole lot of absolute nothing. I'm not a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. I laid out my criticism in a clear, mature manner, something anybody is allowed to do when presented with something objectionable. I don't need to take my ball and leave because he did a dumb thing one time. I can both point out flaws in this product he's pushing *and* enjoy his opinions on tech products and services. It's not a one or the other thing. The more people that raise these complaints the more likely he is to address them seriously, thus why it's important to keep pointing them out.
you know youtube keeps 45% of ad revenue right? You wrote a whole essay about a fake outrage on a product you dont care about lmao. Is this how yall are using your political and social science majors?
Dude seriously? Find a life. He runs a business, he doesn't owe you an explanation, just like you don't owe him an explanation for not buying his app. Go touch some grass.
Please explain why they should address it at all? Like, I get that they talk about it because people like are crying about it, but you're making it sound like they've actually done something bad like hurt someone or done something illegal.....
@@jaevnstroem It makes them look like they're actually hearing and understanding the audience. I wish they would address their controversies and not just try to skate away from everything, like the Louis Rossman video. That's the stuff they should talk about.
Prob because its hard to tell people 'yeah its not a free wallpaper app, because artists get paid...instead of stolen from like every other app'. People talking about apples 30% commision while he takes 50%...that's not how it works, apple is taking from mkbhd...not you. So when he hires people for art and will pay them a cut of the downloads...he's being fair to the artists. Nobody is saying you cant go to zedge or wherever and get images for free without paying artists...but that's what your doing....not paying artists.
Thank you for the segment on Panels, however I'm a bit disappointed you guys didn't address the biggest criticism of the app: what justifies the $50/yr pricing and locking full quality behind that?
$50 per year. that's literally just 2mins of working per day on minimum wage. why tf is everyone crying about it? 😂 they're not even forcing everyone to buy it
It is high. My guess is that it has to do with the quality of the work/art they are getting from the contributors. But I can’t answer for them. I did a check on the pricing of competitor apps, and those seem to have a sweet spot of $5.
@@pyrofestimoyeah, it’s a free app with ads, which you can purchase to remove and gain the wallpaper’s full resolution. Everyone’s outrage is kind of understandable, since subscriptions suck, but way overblown. It’s nowhere near as shitty as the Rabbit R1. You can buy individual wallpapers if you don’t plan on switching wallpapers. It’s just such a dumb thing to cancel someone on.
@@bish189 for a wallpaper app in 2024, some of which could be AI generated, that you could generate yourself for much cheaper or for free, yes, $50 a year is very pricey
@@epavlov yeah the complaints are weird. Just don’t buy it. And the app will die or drop in price if enough people agree with you. But it likely wont drop in price because it was never an app targeted to these people.
I was hoping he’d at least try to give us a reason that felt more genuine, rather than just being like it’s super niche so he can do whatever he wants with it.
@@Hiwind994 Literally in the app it says SD not as in pixel density but as in lowered vs full resolution. Where SD is 1080 x 1920 which is written right next to it. Additionally when you watch the add and download it the file size is 1080 x 1920. As someone who has had a 720p wallpaper from a wallpaper app back in the day. I'm pretty sure I can notice the difference lol.
It was made after the backlash , u might find clip of the first version he launched ,it has SD VERSION downloadable for free after u watch 2 ads of 45 sec videos which is unskipable
Address the bs subscription based model bruh. I’ve seen you guys complain about subscriptions just like this multiple times on this very channel and its one of the things I respect your opinions for, so to turn around and offer a subscription feels a bit off brand
@@Fandiumi like MKBHD, and when he releases products I’m excited for them. When he reviews other products theres a sense of genuineness thats hard to find in the world of cheap half assed products/services/content etc. my complaint isn’t on the concept of the app because, to be fair I’m not someone that would ever use a wallpaper app. However my complaint is about how this is a bad product, that doesn’t feel like alot of effort went into, it at a bad price point.. not the type of app I would expect The MKBHD to drop lol
I would pay for wallpapers, but 65$ CAD a year... with a 64% discount!?!?! or $16 a month, for wallpapers. Pricing was my issue. You're out of touch on this one.
@@joshmireles4999 Not mad, I just uninstalled the app and moved on. However I have criticism, and since I consume MKBHD content regularly and he specifically addressed his app in this video, I responded with my opinion on what I think of his pricing (and some other things honestly) that I disagree with, as one does on social media. He even says in the video he wants feedback.
I wish it is that way, so that we get rid of all those who are bitching about the price of that useless app that they never needed and never asked for but now that its there they complain about it!
Enjoyed the pace of the podcast today! I’m normally not a commenter, but I will say that the failure to address the glaring issues with panels feels like it goes against your usual transparency. I think that’s part of why people are upset. A lot of people trust your opinion, but this kind of thing is what breaks that. I think if you addressed and owned up to everything with your usual standard, people will understand. Not forget, but understand
I completely agree. It’s kinda disappointing that he addressed handpicked issues that are easier to answer and have an easy fix. But completely ignoring the main issue of price and quality of the product is very disappointing. Saying things like, this is what I feel this product is worth would even have been acceptable. Coz price is very perspective. If one only wants to sell limited edition product to a limited number of people for an ultra premium price, that’s ok. Not addressing a key pain point just breaks the trust of community. 💔
I think answered it. Its not for everyone. If you are someone who's desperate to have the wallpapers, pay the price. For majority who don't need it, can just ignore it like other bazillion wallpaper app. Case closeed.
Yeah I love this podcast but people are very justified to be disappointed about Panels. You just know if any other company released an app like this, they would make fun of it on WVFRM.
@@macoywonder they didn't say they were being distorted, why are you yourself being so defensive for someone you don't know? Are we not allowed valid critique now? I downloaded the app, and then I uninstalled it. It was a bad app, am I not allowed to say that?
@@klatchabobby so we just have to accept anything and not criticize right? Just be sheep and be happy he blessed us with such a wonderful wallpaper app? Lmao we talking about wallpaper here buddy. . You must be one of those guys that pays for digital products and thinks he owns it 😂😂
Just as a reference for how ridiculous the pricing of this app is, Nebula, although a different kind of product, is $30 for an entire year. And for that, you get an inexhaustible amount of quality content compared to $50 a year for the color orange.
@linuxrules25 Thank you for that information. My point still stands, that they think they can charge anywhere in that ballpark is ridiculous. Not to mention the 50% cut they take from the people supplying the art. And if compare the monthly price, it's literally double Nebulas new higher price.
Yeah the 50 percent revenue cut is something I am curious about. If it includes things like apple/googles (15-30 percent) cut out of the apps 50 percent it isn't as bad but I am not sure if that has been clarified. It is a pretty high cut if it is post the app stores cut though
Yes! Lots of creators have Patreon and other monthly subscriptions. LMG has Floatplane. I subscribe to Big Sandwich, The Weekly Planet's subscription for 9 dollars a month. But that has value to me for the content. Wallpapers do not have that value
The main complaint with Panels is that it locks all the high-res wallpapers (and many wallpapers entirely) behind a $50/year paywall. The fact that he didn't address that is either intentionally evasive or mind-blowingly tone-deaf.
Dude completely ignored that people complaint mostly about the $50 yearly subscription and also you can't even get a 720p wallpaper for free in 2024 you get a HD resolution which is 480p.
I missed the $50/year detail. Thats just like Pixiv and ArtStation prices. If thats the case, its not entirely unreasonable. Pixiv: $5.50/month or $55/year ArtStation: $10/month or $30/month Then there’s Xbox Gold and and PS+
Dear mkbhd, people are not mad about the app, its because you just went south on all the principles you have been propagating and following for all these years.
Well nah we are actually at the app as well, I was excited what he was about to launch and then when I saw wallpapers… even if it was free I would still be mad but $50 yearly I’m even more mad… Zollotech always puts all whatever his wallpapers are in the end of the video he tells the people to check out the description to get the wallpaper for free.
I don't know how much he has followed, he has only said. Saying and following are two very very different things and it's a lot of effort to compromise and going away from the norm to follow principle. It's very difficult and panels is an example right at the top. You can say what you want, but showing how it can happen is all together another ball game.
I can understand how you feel but you gotta realize that they’re digital creations. It’s not a limited resource like materials. That means that all pricing strategies are arbitrary by nature. There is no fixed value for these services. That means that the amount of value you find in this service is purely subjective. It goes both ways of course. So I absolutely can understand that people find the pricing ridiculous but that’s where it ends. Either buy it or don’t. I can understand wanting something to be cheaper but there is no strict standard on pricing for something like this. That’s all I mean.
I'm more mad about the 50/50 revenue split and a lot of "artists" listed are mkbhd employees. Even apple split is 70/30, google play, epic game store, steam, Spotify, every storefrobt have a better revenue split than this crap
@@LooKingG00dHUH??? you mean David? I’m sure he’s happy to help launch the app. Wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t take any of his split. Artists are welcome to apply and join the app. I can’t see how this is a valid complaint lmao. If you think it should be done better or different, do it yourself.
In my opinion your 50/50 split with designers isn't good. It should be 80/20 with 80% going to the designers. Also the app itself looks very sloppy and I'm not a fan of the amount of tracking it contains for what is basically a webpage with images and a button to set them as a wallpaper using an operating system provided API. The app doesn't feel premium and I honestly think it shouldn't have had ads at all. I think it should have been $18 for a year or $1.99 a month and no ads at all. Have a mix of free and premium wallpapers in the app. For example a designer puts up 12 wallpapers, 2 of them are available for free, no ads. And the remaining 10 are only available to subscribers. The price is just too high and the app quality is poor. You really should have done more thinking on this one.
One thing I am curious about for the 50/50 split is since it is revenue split whos half absorbs google/apples 15-30 percent cut for in app transactions. If it comes out of the apps share that makes it more reasonable in terms of split.
@@prateekmodified I did check the app not all the designers are his people. He's also allowing designers to signup through the website to submit their artwork to the app making it an ongoing problem for future collaborators.
Look, we're seeing this as a cash grab because A. The pricing for the pro version, it's a bunch of images, other wallpaper apps don't even charge that much and they've got much bigger of a collection B. Even the free wallpapers require you to watch 2 ads, AND even then you only get the "SD" version, wtf? You clearly know better and the fact that you're not even addressing the actual main points is what's really causing people to have an issue with all this, it has damaged the reputation of MKBHD a bit for sure, but that's because you refuse to engage with the community on these major points.
in case u didn't know, search on r/piracy, you'll find all the wallpapers there for free, he implemeted 0 security and someone was able to get all of them lol
Thing is, if any other company released a wallpaper app with a $50/year subscription, all 5 of you guys would roast the sh*t out of it. I'm kinda disappointed that you didn't address all the criticism properly.
@@alexmcgillvary1753 Well in case anyone didnt know you can get it with the google play pass which they constantly offer free trials for and download what you need before the trial ends.
I don't think they would *roast* it. Maybe count it as a downside, but there's nothing principally wrong with a company setting whatever price they want for their products. Look at Apple
@elivegba8186 You sounds like you deserve those wallpapers and he is forcefully taking it away. Its not like he promised a wallpapers app long time ago and hyped it up and finally revealed its 50$. He randomly released it and its so easy to ignore. This is just drama for a drama.
@@eliveliveI mean, people already did make script to download all of it. 30 mins after it was launched. The apps was so poorly made. If he care about artists, he wouldn't make it this easy to dowbload all the img for free.
I’m so disappointed that you did not properly address the criticism regarding the pricing. You could have saved yourself here guys and this is taking a massive hit on credibility. And I’m saying this as someone who enjoys all your content and really valued your opinions before.
@@bryanyoung8404 So get your wallpapers somewhere else. If it's a bad price, the product will fail or they'll change the price. I don't understand why it's such a big deal.
@killcamz24mota92 so? if the app dies does it matter to you? I don't think he's looking for business advice from the guy commenting concord everywhere
It was hard talking about your panels fiasco, but glad you did it. But you didn’t address the major issue, the pricing. Are you doing anything about that?
It’s not about changing or not changing wallpapers everyday, it’s about the execution: the outrageous pricing, the long ads for poor SD versions, and last but not least the crazy creators fee of 50%! Disappointed you have not addressed this feedback at all.
Marques, you critique all sorts of products, and companies try and take it with grace, and try and change for the better. People weren't happy about the price. Why not just address it? That's the elephant in the room. Don't run away from criticism. Not a good look.
What about it? If he thinks it's worth $50 a year for unlimited wallpapers, that's his right. Do you also complain to Prada if they release $1000 sunglasses? No. If you don't want to spend the cash, then clearly it's not for you. To others, it's totally worth it. Let's be honest, if it was priced at $20 a year, you still wouldn't pay for it, right?
Just so you all know, despite all the admittedly valid criticism about panels, I still love you guys for your core stuff, still a fan! ❤️ This podcast is a staple of my week🙂
Linus and Luke at the WAN Show don't understand why people are blowing this thing up... Well for the timeline: - People applauded him for the Fisker Ocean review even if it was controversial - Then he shills so hard for Apple with his Apple Testing video which people hated, people say MKBHD has always been a shill for Apple - mrbeast allegations come up bringing shitty UA-camr practices in the limelight - mrbeast Logan and Ksi launch shitty Launchly, makes other prominent respected UA-camrs callout shitty UA-camr practices - perfect timing of releasing this lousy wallpaper app, in which they address the wrong concern and leave out the real ones...
You said all the wallpapers are curated but if I applied to be an artist, could I post solid colors like Vinh is doing or would that not be allowed because I don’t work there?
I don’t think the majority of us are saying, “who would want to pay for wallpapers?” we’re saying, “who would want to pay $50 DOLLARS A YEAR for wallpapers?” If the true intention is to support the artists, why not just mention them or “@“ them in your videos while showing off a wallpaper? That way, we can buy directly from them, so they don’t have to split 50% earnings with you.
The panels app sections at the start really rubbed me the wrong way. You make it sound like the reason it got a negative response was because of the price tag, and not the fact that (also) you are taking a massive 50% cut, meaningless promises, pretty bad UI and including AI art untagged. This shouldn’t have gone past internal testing and it feels like the only thing stopping you was getting caught. The fact that the whole response was classic PR talk didn’t help. “It’s a learning experience” and “we will make it better” means nothing. Actions speak louder than words, and so far the only action taken was that allegedly the tracking info is incorrect… This isn’t something people will forget. From now to the rest of time anytime you talk about an app or a company not understanding their audience / bad prices / etc., this will be brought up. Personally, I’m quite disappointed.
@@ۥۥ0ۥۥ aside from not mentioning the money, the vibe was more like here's some quick updates with the app, nothing to see here moving on. most people are pointing out how mkbhd's biggest strength is his honesty and willingness to call out companies on bad products and features, so it just feels a bit awkward to be sugarcoating the scenario with your own app. again, i dont care that much, still like mkbhd, but i do think with more and more products and brands being launched hes gotta think about how it can affect the core channels integrity.
@@rickywinterbornand what if the integirty is lost? How would that affect you or any of the viewers? It's his business and his own money, isnt it? If he loses everything and shuts down the channel, would you or any of the viewers get affected?
@@nhso789well, his channel is built upon integrity and the viewers who trust that integrity… Seems to me that without people, you can’t really have a business or a successful UA-cam channel, right? So, he should probably care about this. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s things like this that slowly erode away that integrity. And then eventually his relevancy.
Did not address pricing. Feels like gaslighting. Unhappy with the response, not enough accountability taken. Launching to 1.7 on play store and 2.0 on App Store should warrant a more serious reaction than this.
He did address pricing at the end. He said most people will just go to Google images and get a wallpaper for free and this is for a small minority of people.
It's the subscription model people have the main issue with. One time payments for artist currated work is understandable. Even having a subscription option for those who like switching a bunch is great. But it seems like a really high price for subscription being the ONLY option.
The number one most common complaint was the fact this is at cheapest $50 per year to download better than SD wallpapers and the second most common complaint was why are you taking 50% of the subscription revenue when YOU have complained about Apple taking 30% (while doing so much more than just hosting some random pictures).
"the criticism was the talk of the entire internet...for a couple days" A couple days he says 🤣 Marques, my dude. You're better than this. You've been one of my favourite youtubers forever. Up to now, you were also the most consistent by a good margin. This has been the most off-brand, tone deaf thing you've done. And it came out of the blue. Get back to the drawing board, hire some talent how understands this stuff. And I mean on the BUSINESS side as well as product!
i think “you could call it a sloppy launch” is the understatement of the year. man, i saw nonstop hate for 2 days straight. this is unprecedented for a beloved figure in the tech game. marques must be a lil shaken up even if he’s seemingly handling it calm cool and collected
Yeah.. and when I look at his crazy schedule (went halfway across the globe to Australia to win a world tournament, then to the Apple event and straight to two review videos, on top of these podcasts).. maybe spreading it a bit thin there.. and David is missing without a reason? Hope it’s nothing too serious!
Some people forget the fact that there’re a lot of wallpapers apps for free with payment options and have around the same price as Panels. It’s crazy people don’t use wallpaper apps complaining about Panels… keep up Marques ❤
@@lonelylama5222 yes I support Trümp. I wouldn't laugh at someone face for the choices that they make on how to spend their money. I'm not a communïst.
“Somehow this rumor popped up that we bought an old crappy wallpaper and re branded it… which is completely false. We built our own crappy app from the ground up!”
Thank you for addressing the Panels topic upfront. ❤I was worried how this avalanche of critique would affect you. I was even thinking whether there would be a Waveform this week... I love you guys and this little app fiasco will not negate years of high quality content that you have created. I enjoy watching your videos and listening to the podcast. Like any hurricane, it will pass. ❤ Stay strong!
MKBHD really is becoming the thing he criticises. Giving non-answers like top execs in tech, not directly addressing feedback, and generally an attitude you wouldn’t have expected of someone with his reputation. It may be a single mistake in a long journey, but it’s a notable blemish on his credibility. Even putting aside the whole argument of pricing and it being up to him to price his own product, while is fair, it is still disproportionately high. Even Halide’s lifetime price is only around $60, so $50 a year? Kinda crazy.
The app was built by Marques fathers’ IT company. If Marques really wanted to create the best app, he would have hired the best designers and developers. It’s one big cash grab for him and his family
I'm just popping in to remind everybody that Brownlee thinks he deserves a bigger cut from artist's work than literally every other platform in existence. Takes more than Apple, Google, Spotify, Steam, all of them! But then again, he lets AI art be used, so maybe it's a wash.
Suggestions for changes to the Panels app, that are more in line with the MKBHD brand (as perceived by me): 1: Remove all ads. No 3rd party tracking. Just content from the MKBHD team and the artists. 2: Change monetization from a subscription based model, to a marketplace model, where you can buy single wallpapers and bundles of wallpapers (based on artist or themes). 3: Release 1 monthly free wallpaper for all users. 4: Really lean into the aspect of helping artists you like, by giving them 80% of revenue of wallpapers sold (after google/apple cut).
The man has made videos for over a decade. He releases an app that he can literally update, change the policies and fix at any moment and people are acting like it is the greatest tech drama of all time
So true.. it feels tiring to see that people are only seeing the emptier glass sometimes, and most people complaining about the price wouldn't pay it if it was 10$/year
@@QuentinF oh I agree and it's also irritating because it fills up the comment section with so much nonsense and the real questions about products or development are going to get pushed to the side.
It's a small minority of unwell people who are all over this. People who feed on drama and haters who were waiting for the opportunity 😂. (And some of these people may be using bots, misinformation, and all the tools at their disposal)
The cope is unreal. Nobody is acting like it's the biggest drama of all time. People are just disappointed at a tech reviewers, failing horribly to reviewers their own simple app.
Open back headphones don't force the sound waves back into your ear, but allow them to dissipate to the outside. They don't get trapped to build sound pressure. It should also help with perceiving directionality and distance, making it more natural.
i literally forgot about the whole panels situation until you brought it up. and then i thought to scroll through the comments to see what other people were saying. still can't bring myself to really care about it lol, other than as internet drama
My interest peaked with the Meta Project Orion more that that, as the day previously, I was just watching Tested's coverage of it. Literally skipped to that section via the chapters, didn't even bother noticing they brought the whole debacle up in this episode, until I looked at the mess of the comments some half a day later.
apple 16 reveal: pure crickets meta keynote: zucc changing the world. i was SO impressed by Zucc yesterday and happy for him and can’t wait to buy his products. the meta ray bans are amazing, the meta quest 3 is amazing. sorry u got hate bombed this week over nothing marques. they are losers, pay them little mind. no one irl would think anything about it. thanks for all of your hard work and quality content i have enjoyed for years and year and years.
*How* 'd you think this gaslighting could change the perception on anything. I wonder why bother to "address" the topic. I guess everything is publicity. *Feels disingenuous as hell tho* You are riding your reputation. Which as a reviewer, _it's your whole currency_
I dont think Marques got the point here. The point is that there is already a community willing to purchase most of his products, not because they really want a wallpaper app but because they just follow him. Maybe the communication behind the pricing was not clear enough or, he can add another tier for people with low budget (limited downlads per month or something similar)
Making clear statments about the doubts we were having first and foremost is what I was expecting and you guys didn't let me down Thankyou guys and btw David and Adam missing at the same time something seems fishy here (expecting another keys to the internet typa vid)
I’m just glad he addressed some of the concerns. I was a little worried that things would be fixed behind the scenes and nothing would be talked about. Good start, I know it’s just a wallpaper app, but I think this is a big moment for Marques and dealing with some push back.
I understand that there's going to be regular drops of new wallpapers over the year. But what's to stop someone from, once per year, just paying for one month's subscription and using that time to download every single wallpaper on the app at full resolution. Thereby getting the full year's content for a fraction of the price of a full year's subscription. And then being able to continue accessing said content without paying for an ongoing subscription. I just don't understand why this isn't more of a wallpaper store, where each wallpaper is sold for a set price of like $2.49. Then maybe allow all users to get one full-resolution wallpaper for free per month or something. Thereby keeping people returning to the app on a regular basis, seeing the new content drops, and also enticing them to spend if the wallpaper they get for free isn't quite what they wanted.
11 bucks a month for basic wallpapers is the dumbest thing ever. Bro, what were you thinking? Something that basically everyone sets for free, you're gonna come in with an insane 11 bucks a month? Bro, even 1.99 for THOSE wallpapers is too much. Nah, for 50 bucks a year I expect ENTIRE THEMED setups, Live & 3D wallpapers, live weather animations on the wallpaper. But to just come out at 11 bucks a month with some really basic wallpapers is just absurd.
He's not talking about pricing because that's not something any company does. That's lesson number one in sales, never discuss pricing. They focus on value, not price, especially when it comes to premium products and brands. Which is what MKBHD strives to be. Does that mean I'm okay with the price? Of course not! I don't agree with the price of any luxury product just because of the brand. $50/year for wallpapers? I'd rather have a black screen and a billion dollars burning a hole in my pocket than buying the app. But that's just me. People love to waste money on crap and do it all the time. The only thing he can do now is add value to the app. Maybe run a lot of promotions on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and throughout the year to try to alleviate the pricing issue with the community without having to deal with it directly. Give out discount codes to viewers and things like that. If anything this shows that part of the community likes MKBHD because of the quality, but that doesn't mean they can afford it. Maybe that's why they like it so much, because it's something nice to have for "free", which is not guaranteed.
I know for a fact they’ve been goin crazy with the 1 on 1s and team meetings, all hands, etc. I know Andrew and Marques are caring managers and they are probably trying to make sure everyone on their team is doing okay right now, and listening to their opinions first. That’s priority #1 for them, not addressing every single external criticism.
kudos to panels for paying human artists, lock your download links down, give artists a more fair profit split. more niche request would be a view history for the wallpapers, it would be nice to be able to go back to a wallpaper i saw before
2:06 lmao no the most common complaint was "why is there a $50 subscription" not "who would want a wallpaper app" and the fact that you're dodging this question is the only part of this whole thing that actually kinda bothers me
@@AbhayKarmanperhaps he should take less commission than 50% if he cares so much about creators.
@@AbhayKarmanyeah it’s obviously a high price that is either something you want or something you don’t - people who just complain tend to want it but can’t afford it
@@whophd i mean it's pretty fucking stupid anyway but if u want to support the guy himself buy it why else buy a wallpaper app it doesn't make sense
@@EK-hd7fr true 70-30 should be it but also he's already paying the artists soooo yeah i mean if they complain sure if they aren't it's fine i am sure
Yeah - him dodging the actual question and the reason people are mad is super shady and aggravating.
I’m sure the comments here will be completely wholesome
It's the podcast; most of us came to listen and relax, lol.
We shall see what shall occur! We shall see the mood of the comment section. We shall see how well my comment ages.
I have been following MKBHD for ages, so sad to see him behave in this way. Really loosing credibility in my eyes.
@@just_mdd4Cmon man have you never read youtube comments? Come back a few hundred thousand views later and there will be an argument in half the replies of the comments 😂. Idek how. I bet there will be an argument in this reply section at some point lmao.
@@kcchiefsproductions8687That wouldn't surprise me, lol. People on the internet will always look for problems!
@@kcchiefsproductions8687It wouldn't surprise me, lol. People on the internet will always look for problems!
Bro dodging the price of the app like a good old politician 😂
$50/year or $11.99/month for those that didn't see it.....for WALLPAPERS
@@xkernalsandersxyou don’t have to pay for it
It’s a free app brother. I don’t know why you guys are acting like he’s forcing you to get it
For real. So lame
@@Mshagy02it's free if you want a low res background which I don't
The Panels comment was so diplomatic. He didn't address these three main concerns at all:
1. The stupid pricing
2. The app having so poor security that all their content can downloaded online for free via a single command
3. 50/50 split which is even worse than what app stores charge
totes agree but keep in mind the app industry and the art industry are different and have different structures.
Imagine MKBHD launching a custom music app with 1000 songs made by nobody in particular, then charging more than spotify 🤣🤣🤣. Considering wallpapers are free, the pricing is such an insult to their customers. They have given away their wallpapers before.
#1 The App Is Too Expensive For Me
#2 You can 'easily' access the 'paid' version for 'free'
#3 ???
#4 Profit
And its bad faith to assume the average wallpaper seeker is very stringent on "security" or funds. And it was always billed as "Here's where you can get what I have" and not "Here's where I get things from"
So you're saying poor security is a bad thing?
Dude it's a great thing, I can get all the wallpapers for free
There are tons of other paid wallpapers out there. Not all wallpapers are free
Things Marques did not address about his app.
1.) Why is it $50 a year, $12 a month? That's excessive no matter what excuse you give
2.) Why is it a 50/50 revenue split with the actual artists providing your app with the 1 thing it provides people? That's a worse revenue split than just about any content sharing platform on the internet.
3.) Why is the free tier so aggressively user hostile? Forcing people to watch multiple long video ads just to download a standard definition image. Why are users presented with artists they don't know instead of genres of things they like to choose from? For the bonkers price of the premium service, why does the app have the UX design of baby's first iOS app
4.) Why is the panels site so vague on how often content will be added and what kind of additions in features they should expect? You want people to pay an absurd amount of money while telling them about vague future content that could be bad or things the users don't want. If you don't know what kind of stuff will be added, DON'T DO A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE PROMISING THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW THE QUALITY OF YET
Things Marques addressed.
1.) Strawman argument implying some vocal minority spewing a conspiracy theory that Marques rebranded an existing app is indicative of the kind of criticism he was getting. He went out of his way to highlight the most unimportant complaint people had and focused on it like it's the biggest problem people had
2.) Acknowledged that a wallpaper app you pay for won't appeal to most people but in a tongue and cheek way to suggest all the criticism from the people who wouldn't be interested in his app aren't worth listening to and only the people his app is designed for, are.
I'm frankly astonished at the doubling down on the tone deafness. I just don't know how to process this. I could edit together dozens of videos of Marques himself shitting on all the things apps and services like his app are doing, and yet he ignores all of that as if it doesn't exist.
Like I have to wonder if any of Marques' friends contacted him after his app reveal and told him this just ain't it, or is he in an echo chamber where nobody is willing to tell the review guy his product is atrociously bad. Like Rabbit or Humane AI pin levels of bad
Not sure but if you think when this was recorded, the things they addressed here were the glaring issues at that time, I remember people on day 1 launch were mainly highlighting the ads, panels existed before, and privacy concerns. Then later on in the week people mainly focused on criticizing the $50 and 50/50 split with artists. Let's give em a last chance next podcast, or when mkbhd does a vid about this. Coz a vid about the panels app will definitely gain views since there are "eyeballs" on this controversy
@@wolfgangllanza160 No. All these criticisms existed within the first few hours of his announcement in the iPhone 16 video. Marques addressed the false panels is a rebranded app theory in a thread/tweet within a few hours of the video going live, there was zero reason to re-hash it here. Even if the rumor was correct and it was a rebranded app, that doesn't matter. It'd be like the 100th thing down on the list of issues with the app if it happened to exist in the past as some obscure thing.
This was his opportunity to have a candid conversation addressing *all* of people's criticisms, whether valid or invalid. Instead he brushed it under the rug. He also has not discussed it on threads or X or any other platform since his initial responses after the iPhone 16 video.
So just unsubscribe and stop watching him .. very simple!
Just because in some videos he criticized certain prices of certain products the way YOU and the AUDIENCE LIKE YOU want to hear, doesnt mean he believes in it. He is a youtuber, he needs views .. if he says things you like, you will watch, if he doesnt, you wont. Now that he has millions of subs, he doesnt care about the few that dont like him. And if a few unsubscribe it wont matter. I would totally do the same if I was him. And you would too, and everyone else. It's human nature and business nature.
@@nhso789 You said a whole lot of absolute nothing. I'm not a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. I laid out my criticism in a clear, mature manner, something anybody is allowed to do when presented with something objectionable. I don't need to take my ball and leave because he did a dumb thing one time. I can both point out flaws in this product he's pushing *and* enjoy his opinions on tech products and services. It's not a one or the other thing.
The more people that raise these complaints the more likely he is to address them seriously, thus why it's important to keep pointing them out.
you know youtube keeps 45% of ad revenue right? You wrote a whole essay about a fake outrage on a product you dont care about lmao. Is this how yall are using your political and social science majors?
Dude seriously? You had the easiest opportunity to address the pricing and ads but instead completely ignored it?
Dude seriously? Find a life.
He runs a business, he doesn't owe you an explanation, just like you don't owe him an explanation for not buying his app.
Go touch some grass.
Please explain why they should address it at all? Like, I get that they talk about it because people like are crying about it, but you're making it sound like they've actually done something bad like hurt someone or done something illegal.....
@@jaevnstroem It makes them look like they're actually hearing and understanding the audience. I wish they would address their controversies and not just try to skate away from everything, like the Louis Rossman video. That's the stuff they should talk about.
Prob because its hard to tell people 'yeah its not a free wallpaper app, because artists get paid...instead of stolen from like every other app'. People talking about apples 30% commision while he takes 50%...that's not how it works, apple is taking from mkbhd...not you. So when he hires people for art and will pay them a cut of the downloads...he's being fair to the artists. Nobody is saying you cant go to zedge or wherever and get images for free without paying artists...but that's what your doing....not paying artists.
Because you are made and un-made by your subscribers…..
Thank you for the segment on Panels, however I'm a bit disappointed you guys didn't address the biggest criticism of the app: what justifies the $50/yr pricing and locking full quality behind that?
$50 per year. that's literally just 2mins of working per day on minimum wage. why tf is everyone crying about it? 😂 they're not even forcing everyone to buy it
It is high. My guess is that it has to do with the quality of the work/art they are getting from the contributors. But I can’t answer for them. I did a check on the pricing of competitor apps, and those seem to have a sweet spot of $5.
@@pyrofestimo because it just feels pointless. God forbid anyone want someone selling something to make the case for why you should buy it.
@@pyrofestimoIt's not about the price in itself, it's about what you get for the price.
@@pyrofestimoyeah, it’s a free app with ads, which you can purchase to remove and gain the wallpaper’s full resolution. Everyone’s outrage is kind of understandable, since subscriptions suck, but way overblown. It’s nowhere near as shitty as the Rabbit R1. You can buy individual wallpapers if you don’t plan on switching wallpapers. It’s just such a dumb thing to cancel someone on.
Bro is going to be a great politician with all those dodged questions.
But… the pricing? You didn’t comment on the completely insane pricing of the app.
If you are going the extra mile with a wallpaper app, I don't think you mind. Just don't pay it if you think it's expensive
50$ a year is not insane?
@@bish189 for a wallpaper app in 2024, some of which could be AI generated, that you could generate yourself for much cheaper or for free, yes, $50 a year is very pricey
I mean no one is forcing you to buy it. If it's too expensive don't get it? Not sure what you're looking for here.
It's free with ads. Or just don't get the app. Problem solved.
It’s the PRICING Marquass… Ppl are mad about the PRICING…
Not only that they take 50% from the artists. That's just ridiculous.
@@cothfi yeah this whole thing feels so awkward and poorly planned out.
don't like the pricing? brother in Christ, just move on! five million free wallpapers on the internet
@@epavlov yeah the complaints are weird. Just don’t buy it. And the app will die or drop in price if enough people agree with you. But it likely wont drop in price because it was never an app targeted to these people.
I was hoping he’d at least try to give us a reason that felt more genuine, rather than just being like it’s super niche so he can do whatever he wants with it.
MHBSD - 60hz on an iphone is wild.
Pannels - 720p wallpaper for free is wild.
The wallpapers are 1080 x 1920 aka FHD
And 50/50 revenue split. Damn. Even as greedy as apple is they give 70% to the creators
@@gemevelyn2660 wrong. the free one is 720p
@@Hiwind994 Literally in the app it says SD not as in pixel density but as in lowered vs full resolution. Where SD is 1080 x 1920 which is written right next to it. Additionally when you watch the add and download it the file size is 1080 x 1920. As someone who has had a 720p wallpaper from a wallpaper app back in the day. I'm pretty sure I can notice the difference lol.
It was made after the backlash , u might find clip of the first version he launched ,it has SD VERSION downloadable for free after u watch 2 ads of 45 sec videos which is unskipable
Address the bs subscription based model bruh. I’ve seen you guys complain about subscriptions just like this multiple times on this very channel and its one of the things I respect your opinions for, so to turn around and offer a subscription feels a bit off brand
If you dont like it dont use it.
@@Fandiumwhich is … basically … like everything
@@Fandiumi like MKBHD, and when he releases products I’m excited for them. When he reviews other products theres a sense of genuineness thats hard to find in the world of cheap half assed products/services/content etc. my complaint isn’t on the concept of the app because, to be fair I’m not someone that would ever use a wallpaper app. However my complaint is about how this is a bad product, that doesn’t feel like alot of effort went into, it at a bad price point.. not the type of app I would expect The MKBHD to drop lol
Still crying about it?🤷🏻♂️
@@JC71what a nothing comeback
I would pay for wallpapers, but 65$ CAD a year... with a 64% discount!?!?! or $16 a month, for wallpapers. Pricing was my issue. You're out of touch on this one.
What 16$ a month? What? I'm lost.
@@eyupavc1241 If you don't want to pay the annual fee, it's 16$ CAD a month.
Bro the app. Is. Free. Ppl just wanna be mad lmao
do they comment on it in the episode?
@@joshmireles4999 Not mad, I just uninstalled the app and moved on. However I have criticism, and since I consume MKBHD content regularly and he specifically addressed his app in this video, I responded with my opinion on what I think of his pricing (and some other things honestly) that I disagree with, as one does on social media. He even says in the video he wants feedback.
Do I have to pay 50 dollars to watch this episode
No. Buying things and having access to them wouldn't make consistent money. You need to pay $5 per 15 minutes of watch time.
Yeah, but if you watch in 60fps it makes each frame much more cheaper that panel 💩
😂😂😂
If you want to watch it ad free that will cost you 11.99. Watch the ads or pay up.
No, u have to pay to watch it in HD, or else you get MKBSD
I wish it is that way, so that we get rid of all those who are bitching about the price of that useless app that they never needed and never asked for but now that its there they complain about it!
Enjoyed the pace of the podcast today! I’m normally not a commenter, but I will say that the failure to address the glaring issues with panels feels like it goes against your usual transparency. I think that’s part of why people are upset. A lot of people trust your opinion, but this kind of thing is what breaks that. I think if you addressed and owned up to everything with your usual standard, people will understand. Not forget, but understand
Didn't he address it right in the beginning?
Or do you mean by addressing other issues of the app and not just 3 that came to their mind?
Agreed. He claim transparency and honesty when reviewing other products , and doesn’t even address this. Just to make more money. Downfall incoming.
@@courtenay100😂 So dramatic
I completely agree. It’s kinda disappointing that he addressed handpicked issues that are easier to answer and have an easy fix. But completely ignoring the main issue of price and quality of the product is very disappointing. Saying things like, this is what I feel this product is worth would even have been acceptable. Coz price is very perspective. If one only wants to sell limited edition product to a limited number of people for an ultra premium price, that’s ok. Not addressing a key pain point just breaks the trust of community. 💔
Ignoring the main criticism 💀
Keep in mind that they recorded this on monday, edited and rolled out on Fridays. So expect them to bring it up in next week's podcast
@@AlanIsAkira technically the meta stuff was on Wednesday though
@@AlanIsAkiraI think the record the podcasts on wednesdays
I think answered it. Its not for everyone. If you are someone who's desperate to have the wallpapers, pay the price. For majority who don't need it, can just ignore it like other bazillion wallpaper app. Case closeed.
@gagnarork i thought it was monday, my bad!
I’m 15 minutes in…you can tell the energy is off 😢
@@luxo199 he should feel uncomfortable. People have the right to push back.
Yeah I love this podcast but people are very justified to be disappointed about Panels. You just know if any other company released an app like this, they would make fun of it on WVFRM.
Good.
@@killcamz24mota92 The right to push back against a free app that no one is forced to use? Holy, people do feel entitled these days
@@killcamz24mota92you guys are insane. How broke are you to have an outrage over $4 a month lmao
The main feature of the criticism was the extortionate price, it's a pity that it was deliberately not addressed directly.
Who is extorting you? No one, literally no one, is extorting you to get the subscription. Don't download the app. Period.
@@macoywonder they didn't say they were being distorted, why are you yourself being so defensive for someone you don't know?
Are we not allowed valid critique now? I downloaded the app, and then I uninstalled it. It was a bad app, am I not allowed to say that?
@@macoywonderthat’s what the people who made Concord said. “If you don’t like it don’t buy it.” Look where they are now 😂
Me when the optional wallpaper app I don't need is too expensive for me so I have to complain about it
@@klatchabobby so we just have to accept anything and not criticize right? Just be sheep and be happy he blessed us with such a wonderful wallpaper app? Lmao we talking about wallpaper here buddy. . You must be one of those guys that pays for digital products and thinks he owns it 😂😂
Purposely ignored discussing the pricing of the app. We know you know it's not worth the money
So don't buy it haha or just but it for a month and remove the subscription
Would be funny if someone threw in a question about it in a future interview, let him have his own magic mouse moment
@@AyukaAmamethSo just don't make videos on half baked products and call them out as a disappointment.
I think that falls under "appropriate critique."
At the end they said most people wouldn't pay for it and would just get a wallpaper for free online.
Just as a reference for how ridiculous the pricing of this app is, Nebula, although a different kind of product, is $30 for an entire year. And for that, you get an inexhaustible amount of quality content compared to $50 a year for the color orange.
You are grandfathered in for that price, for new subscribers nebula is $60 a year as of August 1st of this year
@linuxrules25 Thank you for that information. My point still stands, that they think they can charge anywhere in that ballpark is ridiculous. Not to mention the 50% cut they take from the people supplying the art. And if compare the monthly price, it's literally double Nebulas new higher price.
Yeah the 50 percent revenue cut is something I am curious about. If it includes things like apple/googles (15-30 percent) cut out of the apps 50 percent it isn't as bad but I am not sure if that has been clarified. It is a pretty high cut if it is post the app stores cut though
@@linuxrules25After August 1st price change, it’s $36/year with a creator discount code
Yes! Lots of creators have Patreon and other monthly subscriptions. LMG has Floatplane. I subscribe to Big Sandwich, The Weekly Planet's subscription for 9 dollars a month. But that has value to me for the content. Wallpapers do not have that value
The main complaint with Panels is that it locks all the high-res wallpapers (and many wallpapers entirely) behind a $50/year paywall. The fact that he didn't address that is either intentionally evasive or mind-blowingly tone-deaf.
Dude completely ignored that people complaint mostly about the $50 yearly subscription and also you can't even get a 720p wallpaper for free in 2024 you get a HD resolution which is 480p.
HD is actually 720p
720 is HD bruh
I know 720p is hd "bruh " i meant SD
The free wallpapers are 1080p.
I missed the $50/year detail.
Thats just like Pixiv and ArtStation prices.
If thats the case, its not entirely unreasonable.
Pixiv: $5.50/month or $55/year
ArtStation: $10/month or $30/month
Then there’s Xbox Gold and and PS+
Dear mkbhd, people are not mad about the app, its because you just went south on all the principles you have been propagating and following for all these years.
Well nah we are actually at the app as well, I was excited what he was about to launch and then when I saw wallpapers… even if it was free I would still be mad but $50 yearly I’m even more mad… Zollotech always puts all whatever his wallpapers are in the end of the video he tells the people to check out the description to get the wallpaper for free.
exactly my point, he could have just made it free, afterall its the subscribers that has supported him all these years.
@@jasfx7241 zollo is the real mvp
I don't know how much he has followed, he has only said. Saying and following are two very very different things and it's a lot of effort to compromise and going away from the norm to follow principle. It's very difficult and panels is an example right at the top. You can say what you want, but showing how it can happen is all together another ball game.
What a stupid way to dodge the sensible criticisms…. Didn’t expect this from you guys.
I can understand how you feel but you gotta realize that they’re digital creations. It’s not a limited resource like materials. That means that all pricing strategies are arbitrary by nature. There is no fixed value for these services. That means that the amount of value you find in this service is purely subjective. It goes both ways of course. So I absolutely can understand that people find the pricing ridiculous but that’s where it ends. Either buy it or don’t. I can understand wanting something to be cheaper but there is no strict standard on pricing for something like this. That’s all I mean.
if you don't like the price - don't buy. easy.
I'm more mad about the 50/50 revenue split and a lot of "artists" listed are mkbhd employees.
Even apple split is 70/30, google play, epic game store, steam, Spotify, every storefrobt have a better revenue split than this crap
They aren’t your heros bro. You’ll be fine. Either stop watching or get over it lol it’s not that deep.
@@LooKingG00dHUH??? you mean David? I’m sure he’s happy to help launch the app. Wouldn’t surprise me if he doesn’t take any of his split. Artists are welcome to apply and join the app. I can’t see how this is a valid complaint lmao. If you think it should be done better or different, do it yourself.
I’m not saying Marques not addressing pricing is a red flag, it’s orange and I had to watch 2 ads for it!
In my opinion your 50/50 split with designers isn't good. It should be 80/20 with 80% going to the designers. Also the app itself looks very sloppy and I'm not a fan of the amount of tracking it contains for what is basically a webpage with images and a button to set them as a wallpaper using an operating system provided API.
The app doesn't feel premium and I honestly think it shouldn't have had ads at all. I think it should have been $18 for a year or $1.99 a month and no ads at all. Have a mix of free and premium wallpapers in the app. For example a designer puts up 12 wallpapers, 2 of them are available for free, no ads. And the remaining 10 are only available to subscribers.
The price is just too high and the app quality is poor. You really should have done more thinking on this one.
One thing I am curious about for the 50/50 split is since it is revenue split whos half absorbs google/apples 15-30 percent cut for in app transactions. If it comes out of the apps share that makes it more reasonable in terms of split.
Until they explain better why they have the pricing like they do, I like this plan.
Yeah, why isn't this being the number one issue with everyone?
Designers are his people lol check the artist profile. All from the studio..
@@prateekmodified I did check the app not all the designers are his people. He's also allowing designers to signup through the website to submit their artwork to the app making it an ongoing problem for future collaborators.
Look, we're seeing this as a cash grab because A. The pricing for the pro version, it's a bunch of images, other wallpaper apps don't even charge that much and they've got much bigger of a collection B. Even the free wallpapers require you to watch 2 ads, AND even then you only get the "SD" version, wtf? You clearly know better and the fact that you're not even addressing the actual main points is what's really causing people to have an issue with all this, it has damaged the reputation of MKBHD a bit for sure, but that's because you refuse to engage with the community on these major points.
Also there was already a google drive that had some of the wallpapers in the vid, another major point that some have missed.
in case u didn't know, search on r/piracy, you'll find all the wallpapers there for free, he implemeted 0 security and someone was able to get all of them lol
Backdrops charges 108USD for their pro pack.
@@macoywonder a one time payment, ah yes, it's exactly the same isn't it. Not to mention the amount they have to offer is not comparable.
@@fluffycrumpetbaby hey just stating what I know. I deleted Panels almost immediately coz I don't need it.
No comment on pricing? Even just addressing it and holding your ground would've been something but not even mentioning people's main complaint...
Well well, we meet again drama enjoyers.
yummmmmm
Popcorn! Fresh popcorn! 🍿🍿
Thing is, if any other company released a wallpaper app with a $50/year subscription, all 5 of you guys would roast the sh*t out of it.
I'm kinda disappointed that you didn't address all the criticism properly.
Backdrops' Pro version, which is an app MKBHD uses, is $48/year just FYI.
Yup. Me too.
@@alexmcgillvary1753 Well in case anyone didnt know you can get it with the google play pass which they constantly offer free trials for and download what you need before the trial ends.
Easier to review and comment. Difficult to address reviews. It's painful. Now you know why companies don't address it. Haha
I don't think they would *roast* it. Maybe count it as a downside, but there's nothing principally wrong with a company setting whatever price they want for their products. Look at Apple
L response. I really expected them to address the $50 price for the wallpaper app. SMH. Missed another easy layup.
Don't bother yourself bro.
The Android modding community will work on it real soon.
No need to pay for anything
@elivegba8186 You sounds like you deserve those wallpapers and he is forcefully taking it away. Its not like he promised a wallpapers app long time ago and hyped it up and finally revealed its 50$. He randomly released it and its so easy to ignore. This is just drama for a drama.
No one is forcing you to pay for it.
He's allowed to price it however he wants since it's his product 😂. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY IT. I definitely won't be paying.
@@eliveliveI mean, people already did make script to download all of it. 30 mins after it was launched. The apps was so poorly made.
If he care about artists, he wouldn't make it this easy to dowbload all the img for free.
2 ads for orange.
no more "matte black everything" … more like "Two-ad Orange Everything"
I’m so disappointed that you did not properly address the criticism regarding the pricing. You could have saved yourself here guys and this is taking a massive hit on credibility. And I’m saying this as someone who enjoys all your content and really valued your opinions before.
😂 oh poor princess is disappointed
they don't have to make the app affordable for you, move on
"Making an app I would really like..."
You would like to pay $50 for wallpapers? 😮
I didn't know a $50 subscription was an app
It’s free
@@Pro-keshevery. Single. Wallpaper either needs an ad watched for some SUPER reduced resolution. Or you have to pay. For every. Single. One.
@@bryanyoung8404 still free?
@@bryanyoung8404 So get your wallpapers somewhere else. If it's a bad price, the product will fail or they'll change the price. I don't understand why it's such a big deal.
Ahhh, we’re gaslighting the crowd now? Right at the beginning?
Bro grow up. It’s really not that deep. If you don’t want to pay for it, don’t! What a novel idea, huh?
@@travisauruss yeah they wouldn’t pay it even if it was 1USD for 5years cuz they are broke as hell and would keep whining.
My guy didn’t even address the $50/yr price, that was the number 1 issue lol
If you don't like it dont buy it
@@Fandiumit's the principle
@@Fandiumask Concord what happened when they said the same thing lol😂 people will push back
@@Fandium if you don't like the comment - don't read it.
@killcamz24mota92 so? if the app dies does it matter to you? I don't think he's looking for business advice from the guy commenting concord everywhere
It was hard talking about your panels fiasco, but glad you did it. But you didn’t address the major issue, the pricing. Are you doing anything about that?
Here is some feedback: Address the price point, and lower it dramatically.
Here’s some feedback on your feedback. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy the product that you find overpriced.
It’s not about changing or not changing wallpapers everyday, it’s about the execution: the outrageous pricing, the long ads for poor SD versions, and last but not least the crazy creators fee of 50%! Disappointed you have not addressed this feedback at all.
Poor SD versions... 1080 x 1920 that's FHD bro. Take a second and read.
If you hate it…don’t get it. It’s pretty easy to not care about things that disinterest you :) tired of these brain dead comments
@@juicy_amif you don’t like OP's comments, then don't read it, instead of typing that brain dead response.
@@kiattim2100 rightttt im the brain dead one when you’re responding to me in a similar way starting a subthread lmao
@@juicy_amwhy bother to comment and not follow your own advice?
Marques, you critique all sorts of products, and companies try and take it with grace, and try and change for the better. People weren't happy about the price. Why not just address it? That's the elephant in the room. Don't run away from criticism. Not a good look.
Well-said
Yep
5:50 but avoiding to address the biggest criticism.... The cost
Influencers dont care about you.
They see view counts and comments and think $$$$.
Glad more people are realizing this and stop worshipping them 24/7
What about it?
If he thinks it's worth $50 a year for unlimited wallpapers, that's his right.
Do you also complain to Prada if they release $1000 sunglasses?
No.
If you don't want to spend the cash, then clearly it's not for you. To others, it's totally worth it.
Let's be honest, if it was priced at $20 a year, you still wouldn't pay for it, right?
The price could be $50,000 for a single wallpaper, who cares? They don't have to make it affordable for anyone. If it's too much for you, don't use it
Just so you all know, despite all the admittedly valid criticism about panels, I still love you guys for your core stuff, still a fan! ❤️
This podcast is a staple of my week🙂
Linus and Luke at the WAN Show don't understand why people are blowing this thing up...
Well for the timeline:
- People applauded him for the Fisker Ocean review even if it was controversial
- Then he shills so hard for Apple with his Apple Testing video which people hated, people say MKBHD has always been a shill for Apple
- mrbeast allegations come up bringing shitty UA-camr practices in the limelight
- mrbeast Logan and Ksi launch shitty Launchly, makes other prominent respected UA-camrs callout shitty UA-camr practices
- perfect timing of releasing this lousy wallpaper app, in which they address the wrong concern and leave out the real ones...
You said all the wallpapers are curated but if I applied to be an artist, could I post solid colors like Vinh is doing or would that not be allowed because I don’t work there?
Wild 😂
I don’t think the majority of us are saying, “who would want to pay for wallpapers?”
we’re saying, “who would want to pay $50 DOLLARS A YEAR for wallpapers?”
If the true intention is to support the artists, why not just mention them or “@“ them in your videos while showing off a wallpaper?
That way, we can buy directly from them, so they don’t have to split 50% earnings with you.
The panels app sections at the start really rubbed me the wrong way. You make it sound like the reason it got a negative response was because of the price tag, and not the fact that (also) you are taking a massive 50% cut, meaningless promises, pretty bad UI and including AI art untagged. This shouldn’t have gone past internal testing and it feels like the only thing stopping you was getting caught.
The fact that the whole response was classic PR talk didn’t help. “It’s a learning experience” and “we will make it better” means nothing. Actions speak louder than words, and so far the only action taken was that allegedly the tracking info is incorrect…
This isn’t something people will forget. From now to the rest of time anytime you talk about an app or a company not understanding their audience / bad prices / etc., this will be brought up. Personally, I’m quite disappointed.
Mocking the white screen Apple Watch flashlight when you charge for an orange wallpaper…
i personally dont care about the app at all, but probbbably should take the L and just admit it was a botched launch and make some changes.
That's legitimately what they're doing??
@@ۥۥ0ۥۥ aside from not mentioning the money, the vibe was more like here's some quick updates with the app, nothing to see here moving on. most people are pointing out how mkbhd's biggest strength is his honesty and willingness to call out companies on bad products and features, so it just feels a bit awkward to be sugarcoating the scenario with your own app. again, i dont care that much, still like mkbhd, but i do think with more and more products and brands being launched hes gotta think about how it can affect the core channels integrity.
@@rickywinterbornand what if the integirty is lost? How would that affect you or any of the viewers? It's his business and his own money, isnt it? If he loses everything and shuts down the channel, would you or any of the viewers get affected?
@@nhso789well, his channel is built upon integrity and the viewers who trust that integrity…
Seems to me that without people, you can’t really have a business or a successful UA-cam channel, right? So, he should probably care about this. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s things like this that slowly erode away that integrity. And then eventually his relevancy.
Did not address pricing. Feels like gaslighting. Unhappy with the response, not enough accountability taken. Launching to 1.7 on play store and 2.0 on App Store should warrant a more serious reaction than this.
go pull wire
He did address pricing at the end. He said most people will just go to Google images and get a wallpaper for free and this is for a small minority of people.
It’s a wallpaper app. Why a are people acting like this is a big deal
What would be a reasonable price in your eyes?
@@mxskmg4Literally it seems everyone this is not for has something to say about why it is garbage before thinking about who would want this app.
It's the subscription model people have the main issue with. One time payments for artist currated work is understandable. Even having a subscription option for those who like switching a bunch is great. But it seems like a really high price for subscription being the ONLY option.
This is the most appropriate counter argument to the team, instead of demanding the reason for certain price level.
@@SuperTube64283 Agreed!
Panels is an L and the response to the criticism is an L
The number one most common complaint was the fact this is at cheapest $50 per year to download better than SD wallpapers and the second most common complaint was why are you taking 50% of the subscription revenue when YOU have complained about Apple taking 30% (while doing so much more than just hosting some random pictures).
"the criticism was the talk of the entire internet...for a couple days" A couple days he says 🤣
Marques, my dude. You're better than this. You've been one of my favourite youtubers forever. Up to now, you were also the most consistent by a good margin. This has been the most off-brand, tone deaf thing you've done. And it came out of the blue. Get back to the drawing board, hire some talent how understands this stuff. And I mean on the BUSINESS side as well as product!
Crazy thing is, bro has a business degree. He knows exactly what he’s doing and is ok with it despite the backlash
@@heety9 he has a marketing degree. Why the heck do you think he loves Apple so much? Apple does the best marketing. He likes the show, the packaging.
Classic Apple strategy, don’t talk about something and pretend it doesn’t exist. I’m looking at you “$50 subscription fee” 👀
For a decade people were asking him about his cool wallpapers 😂
i think “you could call it a sloppy launch” is the understatement of the year. man, i saw nonstop hate for 2 days straight. this is unprecedented for a beloved figure in the tech game. marques must be a lil shaken up even if he’s seemingly handling it calm cool and collected
Yeah.. and when I look at his crazy schedule (went halfway across the globe to Australia to win a world tournament, then to the Apple event and straight to two review videos, on top of these podcasts).. maybe spreading it a bit thin there.. and David is missing without a reason? Hope it’s nothing too serious!
That awkward smiling at 0:40. I'm seeing where the podcast is going.
Maybe they come up with a ringtones app next 😉
ringtone for 100/month
That's a really good idea
Me when Zedge
I miss the good old polyphonic ringtone days
Some people forget the fact that there’re a lot of wallpapers apps for free with payment options and have around the same price as Panels. It’s crazy people don’t use wallpaper apps complaining about Panels… keep up Marques ❤
If I ever spotted an MKBHD wallpaper on someone's phone after this I would laugh in their face 😂
Guarantee you're a Kamala supporter lol
@@realScottThomasGuarantee you’re a “They’re eating our pets” supporter.
@@lonelylama5222 yes I support Trümp. I wouldn't laugh at someone face for the choices that they make on how to spend their money. I'm not a communïst.
It's free I have one
@@Millerclips27 😂
I said it earlier in the season that this is the year Andrew will win trivia. I’m still sticking to it
“Somehow this rumor popped up that we bought an old crappy wallpaper and re branded it… which is completely false. We built our own crappy app from the ground up!”
Thank you for addressing the Panels topic upfront. ❤I was worried how this avalanche of critique would affect you. I was even thinking whether there would be a Waveform this week... I love you guys and this little app fiasco will not negate years of high quality content that you have created. I enjoy watching your videos and listening to the podcast. Like any hurricane, it will pass. ❤ Stay strong!
50$/year for podcast
MKBHD really is becoming the thing he criticises. Giving non-answers like top execs in tech, not directly addressing feedback, and generally an attitude you wouldn’t have expected of someone with his reputation. It may be a single mistake in a long journey, but it’s a notable blemish on his credibility.
Even putting aside the whole argument of pricing and it being up to him to price his own product, while is fair, it is still disproportionately high. Even Halide’s lifetime price is only around $60, so $50 a year? Kinda crazy.
Not having to pay $50/ year for the waveform podcast is AMAZING!
Do I need to pay $50 to watch this episode?
Completely ignoring the main criticism. Well done MKBSD👍
The app should've been free. Pay for the wallpaper you want. Simple. And a 50/50 revenue split between MKBHD and creators is daylight robbery.
Half the crew paid $50 bucks to not be on this episode
The app was built by Marques fathers’ IT company. If Marques really wanted to create the best app, he would have hired the best designers and developers. It’s one big cash grab for him and his family
I'm just popping in to remind everybody that Brownlee thinks he deserves a bigger cut from artist's work than literally every other platform in existence. Takes more than Apple, Google, Spotify, Steam, all of them! But then again, he lets AI art be used, so maybe it's a wash.
You're 100% a Redditor
100%
@@thanos879Do you have some kind of point behind that comment?
@@thanos879And a UA-cam users is somehow... better?
But I am sure that Marques‘ share also covers the development costs, so...
Suggestions for changes to the Panels app, that are more in line with the MKBHD brand (as perceived by me):
1: Remove all ads. No 3rd party tracking. Just content from the MKBHD team and the artists.
2: Change monetization from a subscription based model, to a marketplace model, where you can buy single wallpapers and bundles of wallpapers (based on artist or themes).
3: Release 1 monthly free wallpaper for all users.
4: Really lean into the aspect of helping artists you like, by giving them 80% of revenue of wallpapers sold (after google/apple cut).
The man has made videos for over a decade. He releases an app that he can literally update, change the policies and fix at any moment and people are acting like it is the greatest tech drama of all time
So true.. it feels tiring to see that people are only seeing the emptier glass sometimes, and most people complaining about the price wouldn't pay it if it was 10$/year
@@QuentinF oh I agree and it's also irritating because it fills up the comment section with so much nonsense and the real questions about products or development are going to get pushed to the side.
It's a small minority of unwell people who are all over this. People who feed on drama and haters who were waiting for the opportunity 😂. (And some of these people may be using bots, misinformation, and all the tools at their disposal)
The cope is unreal. Nobody is acting like it's the biggest drama of all time. People are just disappointed at a tech reviewers, failing horribly to reviewers their own simple app.
Open back headphones don't force the sound waves back into your ear, but allow them to dissipate to the outside. They don't get trapped to build sound pressure. It should also help with perceiving directionality and distance, making it more natural.
i literally forgot about the whole panels situation until you brought it up. and then i thought to scroll through the comments to see what other people were saying. still can't bring myself to really care about it lol, other than as internet drama
Agreed, it’s just a topic for the folks that need something to complain about.
My interest peaked with the Meta Project Orion more that that, as the day previously, I was just watching Tested's coverage of it.
Literally skipped to that section via the chapters, didn't even bother noticing they brought the whole debacle up in this episode, until I looked at the mess of the comments some half a day later.
@@IntellectualSpectator8899 >until i looked at the mess of the comments<
right? it's like "oh yeah, that was a thing"
apple 16 reveal: pure crickets
meta keynote: zucc changing the world.
i was SO impressed by Zucc yesterday and happy for him and can’t wait to buy his products. the meta ray bans are amazing, the meta quest 3 is amazing.
sorry u got hate bombed this week over nothing marques. they are losers, pay them little mind. no one irl would think anything about it. thanks for all of your hard work and quality content i have enjoyed for years and year and years.
*How* 'd you think this gaslighting could change the perception on anything.
I wonder why bother to "address" the topic. I guess everything is publicity. *Feels disingenuous as hell tho*
You are riding your reputation. Which as a reviewer, _it's your whole currency_
@@salmiakki5638 you sound mad with all these bold and italicized words 😂😂
@@juicy_amreading it back now, you are 100% right 😂
Didn't really mean to be, communication is not my strong suit
I dont think Marques got the point here. The point is that there is already a community willing to purchase most of his products, not because they really want a wallpaper app but because they just follow him. Maybe the communication behind the pricing was not clear enough or, he can add another tier for people with low budget (limited downlads per month or something similar)
Seriously losing respect for Marques for not even addressing the complaints...
It’s literally the first topic of the show addressing the complaints.
@@robster7787first complaint is the price, not a word about that sadly
your loss lmao
Making clear statments about the doubts we were having first and foremost is what I was expecting and you guys didn't let me down
Thankyou guys and btw David and Adam missing at the same time something seems fishy here (expecting another keys to the internet typa vid)
Marques WALLPAPER Brownlee
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yeaaaah that’s hot
I’m just glad he addressed some of the concerns. I was a little worried that things would be fixed behind the scenes and nothing would be talked about. Good start, I know it’s just a wallpaper app, but I think this is a big moment for Marques and dealing with some push back.
Here for the comments! 🍿 😬
As a relatively new app developer, it seems MKBHD had very little oversight on the small details of the Panels app.
47:00 Is that Jensen Huang? Didn't know that he worked for Meta...
I understand that there's going to be regular drops of new wallpapers over the year. But what's to stop someone from, once per year, just paying for one month's subscription and using that time to download every single wallpaper on the app at full resolution. Thereby getting the full year's content for a fraction of the price of a full year's subscription. And then being able to continue accessing said content without paying for an ongoing subscription.
I just don't understand why this isn't more of a wallpaper store, where each wallpaper is sold for a set price of like $2.49. Then maybe allow all users to get one full-resolution wallpaper for free per month or something. Thereby keeping people returning to the app on a regular basis, seeing the new content drops, and also enticing them to spend if the wallpaper they get for free isn't quite what they wanted.
It's the ads and subscription implementation that really need to change. Way too expensive and way too annoying when not paying
I just started the episode but before I continue let me ask you guys, does Marquess KBHD address the price of the wallpaper app?
11 bucks a month for basic wallpapers is the dumbest thing ever. Bro, what were you thinking? Something that basically everyone sets for free, you're gonna come in with an insane 11 bucks a month? Bro, even 1.99 for THOSE wallpapers is too much.
Nah, for 50 bucks a year I expect ENTIRE THEMED setups, Live & 3D wallpapers, live weather animations on the wallpaper. But to just come out at 11 bucks a month with some really basic wallpapers is just absurd.
As someone who has not changed their phone wallpaper in over 10 years, I totally understand the niche market that Panels fills.
bro address the pricing!....... at least own it
You dodged the biggest point of critique. if you're gonna acknowledge the critique, at least do the most discussed points AKA the pricing
MKBHD releasing $50 dollar wallpaper app was one thing, but dodging critical questions like seasoned politician is whole new level.
Hopefully in the future Marques is more aware of how he delivers his critique considering he now knows how easy it is to release a bad product.
He's not talking about pricing because that's not something any company does. That's lesson number one in sales, never discuss pricing. They focus on value, not price, especially when it comes to premium products and brands. Which is what MKBHD strives to be.
Does that mean I'm okay with the price? Of course not! I don't agree with the price of any luxury product just because of the brand.
$50/year for wallpapers? I'd rather have a black screen and a billion dollars burning a hole in my pocket than buying the app.
But that's just me. People love to waste money on crap and do it all the time.
The only thing he can do now is add value to the app. Maybe run a lot of promotions on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and throughout the year to try to alleviate the pricing issue with the community without having to deal with it directly. Give out discount codes to viewers and things like that.
If anything this shows that part of the community likes MKBHD because of the quality, but that doesn't mean they can afford it. Maybe that's why they like it so much, because it's something nice to have for "free", which is not guaranteed.
I know for a fact they’ve been goin crazy with the 1 on 1s and team meetings, all hands, etc. I know Andrew and Marques are caring managers and they are probably trying to make sure everyone on their team is doing okay right now, and listening to their opinions first. That’s priority #1 for them, not addressing every single external criticism.
kudos to panels for paying human artists, lock your download links down, give artists a more fair profit split. more niche request would be a view history for the wallpapers, it would be nice to be able to go back to a wallpaper i saw before
Marques has always been awesome to his fans. 100% supporting him as they work out the details of Panels 👍
Thanks for always making great content!
Nice to see you guys 😁