Marques Brownlee
Birth nameMarques Keith Brownlee
Birth dateDecember 3, 1993 (age 32)
Birth placeMaplewood Township, New Jersey, U.S.
Other namesMKBHD
EducationStevens Institute of Technology (BS)
Occupation
Websitemkbhd.com
Youtube handle@mkbhd
Youtube display nameMarques Brownlee
Youtube years active2008–present
Youtube genre
Youtube subscribers20.9 million (main channel)
million (combined)[a]
Youtube views5.374 billion (main channel)
billion (combined)[b]
Stats updateMay 3, 2026

Marques Keith Brownlee (/mɑːrkɛzbraʊnli/ mar-KEZ-_-BROWN-lee; born December 3, 1993), known professionally as MKBHD, is an American influencer and professional ultimate frisbee player,[1] best known for his YouTube videos reviewing technology devices.[2] In 2013, Vic Gundotra, a former senior vice president of Google, called Brownlee "the best technology reviewer on the planet right now".[3] At the 10th Shorty Awards in 2018, he was named "Creator of the Decade".[4] The username of his YouTube channel is a concatenation of MKB (Brownlee's initials) and HD (for high definition).[5] As of 2025, he has more than 20 million subscribers across all channels and billions of total video views.

With New York PoNY, Brownlee is the 2022 WFDF World Champion in the Open Category for ultimate Frisbee.[6] In 2024, Time magazine named him to its "TIME100 Most Influential People in AI" list.[7]

Online career

Brownlee joined YouTube on March 21, 2008.[8] He first started uploading videos in January 2009, while still in high school, about new products or reviews of products he already owned.[9][10] He produced his first videos through screencasting.[10][11]

Review sites have promoted Brownlee's reviews. Engadget promoted the site in January 2012 when they featured his tour of the then-new cloud storage service called Insync.[12] In November 2013, one of Brownlee's most viral videos was posted based on the LG G Flex, where he performed various scratch tests to demonstrate the self-healing ability of the device.[13][14] In December 2013, Brownlee did an interview with Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside.[15][16]

Brownlee's video review and scratch test of a rumored 4.7-inch sapphire display for the iPhone 6, uploaded July 7, 2014,[17] gained immediate popularity, being featured on sites such as The Verge,[18] HuffPost,[19][20] CNET,[21] Time magazine,[22] and others.[23][24] As of November 2024, the video has gained over 9.2 million views on YouTube and has had over 60,000 likes.[17]

In December 2015, Brownlee interviewed professional NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant.[25] During one of the 2016 Democratic presidential primary debates, YouTube cosponsored a video whereby Brownlee asked the candidates, by video, whether tech companies and the government can find a middle ground over encryption while simultaneously considering rights to privacy and national security.[26]

In April 2018, Brownlee won Shorty Awards Creator of the Decade.[27] In August 2019, Brownlee began co-hosting a technology podcast, Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast.[28] that is commonly referred to as Waveform or WVFRM. The podcast is focused on product reviews and interviews with figures influential in the technology industry.[28]

Retro Tech is a YouTube Original series produced by Vox Media Studios starring Brownlee, which was published on December 2, 2019.[29] In the series, Brownlee interviews fellow YouTube creators and celebrity guests and discusses iconic pieces of technology from the past which have had a significant impact on modern life and culture.[30]

Brownlee reached 10 million subscribers on December 18, 2019,[31] making MKBHD one of the most-subscribed-to technology-focused YouTube channels.[32] As of July 2025, his main channel has more than 20 million subscribers and billions of total views. His secondary channels (WVFRM Podcast, 438,000 subscribers; Auto Focus, 1.08 million subscribers; The Studio, 977,000 subscribers; Waveform Clips, 487,000 subscribers; MKBHD Shorts, 647,000 subscribers) add 3.52 million subscribers and approximately 394.75 million views.

In December 2020, he was honored in the Forbes 30 Under 30 listing in its social media category.[33] In April 2023, Brownlee collaborated with footwear brand Atoms to create the high-top Sneaker 251, named after the duration of his first YouTube video.[34] In February 2024, he joined everyday accessories company Ridge as a board member and chief creative partner.[35]

In May 2024, Brownlee gave a commencement speech at his alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology, and was awarded an honorary doctorate of business administration.[36]

In 2025, Brownlee participated in the third Creator Classic, a golf event organized by the PGA Tour for Youtube golf influencers.[37]

Controversies

Panels

In September 2024, Brownlee launched Panels, an iOS and Android app for browsing and downloading hand-picked wallpapers. The app drew widespread criticism from the tech community, mainly for its implementation of a subscription model ($12/month or $50/year) that was deemed overpriced. Other common points of criticism included the presence of in-app ads (for free users), its overall lack of quality, privacy concerns, and allowing AI-generated art to be included on its wallpaper portfolio. He later addressed the criticism, significantly reducing the pricing and fixing most of the other problems.[38][39][40] In December 2025, Brownlee announced that the app would be shutting down at the end of the year.[41]

Speeding

On November 11, 2024, Brownlee published a sponsored review for a DJI action camera that attracted significant backlash regarding a point-of-view shot of him driving at 96 miles per hour (154 km/h) in a neighborhood that had a speed limit of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). It was also noted that the speedometer was blurred, leading to speculation that Brownlee had deliberately tried to hide the fact. Brownlee received widespread criticism. He removed the driving portion and issued an apology on the social media platform X, admitting to his mistakes, leading to mixed responses.[42][43]

After the backlash from his self posted video, multiple, additional, body cam videos emerged of him being previously pulled over for speeding well above the limit, illegal tint, and obscuring his license plates.[44][45][46]

YouTube channels

  • Marques Brownlee – Brownlee's main channel
  • The Studio – behind-the-scenes secondary channel[47]
  • WVFRM Podcast – technology podcast[28]
  • Waveform Clips — short highlights of Waveform podcast discussions.
  • Auto Focus – car-focused channel[48]
  • MKBHD Shorts

Personal life

Marques Keith Brownlee[49] was born on December 3, 1993,[50] and grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey. He attended Columbia High School, graduating in 2011, and studied at the Howe School at Stevens Institute of Technology, where he majored in business and information technology.[5][51] Brownlee graduated in May 2015 and became a full-time YouTuber. His videos were produced at his apartment until he moved out in 2016; he now works out of a studio in Kearny, New Jersey.[52]

Ultimate Frisbee Association

Brownlee is a professional ultimate frisbee player for the New York Empire of the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA),[53] who were the UFA champions in 2019, 2022 and 2023.[54] Brownlee previously played for the Philadelphia Phoenix (2017) and Garden State Ultimate (2015–2017). Other previous team engagements include the now-defunct New Jersey Hammerheads, a team belonging to the UFA, and the New York Rumble, which was in the now-defunct league Major League Ultimate.

On July 31, 2022, Brownlee won the WFDF World Ultimate Club Championship with New York PoNY.[55]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Subscribers, broken down by channel:
    * 20.9 million (Marques Brownlee) * 631 thousand (MKBHD Shorts) * 1.1 million (The Studio) * 512 thousand (WVFRM Podcast) * 533 thousand (Waveform Clips) * 1.23 million (Auto Focus)
  2. ^ Views, broken down by channel:
    * 5.3748 billion (Marques Brownlee) * 65.708 million (MKBHD Shorts) * 163.122 million (The Studio) * 111.318 million (WVFRM Podcast) * 112.627 million (Waveform Clips) * 162.759 million (Auto Focus)

References

  1. ^ "League Players". AUDL. Archived October 4, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
  2. ^ "Marques Brownlee". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  3. ^ Smith, Dave. "Meet 'The Best Technology Reviewer On The Planet,' Who Is Only 20 Years Old". Business Insider. Archived January 15, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  4. ^ "Creator of the Decade". Shorty Awards. Archived July 19, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  5. ^ Gundotra, Vic (3 August 2013). "+Marques Brownlee is the best technology reviewer on the planet right now. You might want to follow him. Watch him practice his craft below.". plus.google.com. Archived from the original on November 28, 2013.
  6. ^ "Familiar faces dominate at WFDF World Ultimate Club Championships 2022". World Flying Disc Federation. 31 July 2022. Archived August 4, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  7. ^ Booth, Harry (2024-09-05). "TIME100 AI 2024: Marques Brownlee". TIME. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  8. ^ "Marques Brownlee: About". YouTube
  9. ^ "Stevens Student's First Million: Tech Reviewer's YouTube Following Reaches Major Milestone". Stevens Institute of Technology. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  10. ^ "The Tato Show: After Hours – Episode 2". droidlife. January 24, 2013. Archived November 27, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 9, 2014. We will also have a very special guest, Mr. Marques Brownlee who runs the YouTube channel MKBHD
  11. ^ Wei, Will (November 21, 2014). "How A 20-Year-Old College Student Became 'The Best Technology Reviewer On The Planet'". Archived January 3, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  12. ^ Cooper, Daniel (July 18, 2019). "Insync: Wave 'Bye, Bye, Bye' to Dropbox". Engadget. Archived August 28, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  13. ^ Souppouris, Aaron (November 20, 2013). "Watch LG's new flexible phone heal itself after a knife scratch". Archived September 20, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  14. ^ "MKBHD Goes Hands-on With LG G Flex Self Healing Back, Even Takes a Knife to it". droidlife. November 19, 2013. Archived January 18, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  15. ^ Petrovan, Bogdan (December 6, 2013). "Motorola CEO talks about Project Ara, wearable devices, and Moto X". Android Authority. Archived from the original on January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
  16. ^ Buckley (December 7, 2013). "Motorola's modular phone prototype is almost ready, final product might be sold on Moto Maker". Archived August 28, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  17. ^ Brownlee, Marques (July 7, 2014). iPhone 6 Sapphire Crystal Display!. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2018. – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Savov, Vlad (11 July 2014). "This flexible sapphire display for the iPhone 6 might be real". The Verge. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 November 2024. The original panel was obtained by Apple sleuth Sonny Dickson, who then provided it to Marques Brownlee, the author of the exhaustive test video above. The crystal-clear display is bent and scratched to extremes, but survives the onslaught unscathed. Following the posting of the video, Brownlee expressed to The Guardian his belief that the screen is "100% an Apple part," which Professor Alford supports by noting that its material behaved as he would expect a sapphire display to.
  19. ^ Hiscott, Rebecca (11 July 2014). "Apple Patent Hints The 'iPhone 6' Will Be Made Of Indestructible Glass". HuffPost. Archived 14 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 November 2024. The patent award comes amid rumors that the front panel of Apple's next phone, which may or may not be called the "iPhone 6," will be built with a super-durable substance known as sapphire glass. Tech vlogger Marques Brownlee uploaded a YouTube video on Monday demonstrating just how unbreakable the iPhone's sapphire-glass front could be. Brownlee scratched it with a knife and a set of keys, bending it to more than 90 degrees under his shoe, all without leaving a mark.
  20. ^ Hiscott, Rebecca (8 July 2014). "This 'iPhone 6' Screen Looks Nearly Indestructible". HuffPost. Archived 14 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 November 2024. Marques Brownlee, a popular YouTube host who was once called "the best technology reviewer on the planet" by a Google executive, purportedly got his hands on a front panel from the so-called "iPhone 6."
  21. ^ Whitney, Lance (11 July 2014). "iPhone 6 sapphire screen video seems legit, expert says". CNET. Archived 14 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 November 2024. Marques Brownlee/YouTube/screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET
  22. ^ Newman, Jared (July 8, 2014). "Apple's iPhone 6 Will Probably Have an Unscratchable Screen". TIME. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 21, 2023. In a video on YouTube, Marques Brownlee demonstrates what is apparently a front panel from the iPhone 6, straight off Apple’s assembly lines. He bends the panel under his sneaker, stabs at it with a knife, and scrapes at it with a set of keys, yet the display seems no worse for wear. He also notes that the glass measures 4.7 inches diagonally, marking an increase in screen size from the 4-inch iPhone 5S.
  23. ^ Andronico, Michael (15 August 2014). "Here Are the Features Shoppers Want Most in an iPhone 6". NBC News. Archived 14 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 November 2024. The iPhone 6 could be hitting shelves in as soon as a month, and all Apple diehards have their own personal wish list for the device. Some want a bigger screen, while others desire a sharper camera; however, above all else, it seems fans are absolutely clamoring for the near-indestructible sapphire display that the iPhone 6 is rumored to feature.
  24. ^ Smith, Dave (21 July 2014). "Here's What Happens When The iPhone 6 Meets Sandpaper (Hint: It's Not Good)". Business Insider. Archived 14 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 November 2024. Earlier this month, Marques Brownlee, who posts tech reviews and explainers on his popular YouTube channel, showed off the alleged front panel for the next iPhone, presumably called iPhone 6. Brownlee said he obtained the part from the prolific Apple leaker Sonny Dickson.
  25. ^ Smith, Dave (December 15, 2015). "Kobe Bryant discusses how technology has changed over his 20 years in the NBA". Business Insider. Archived August 3, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  26. ^ "CHS Grad Marques Brownlee Asks Question at Democratic Debate". The Village Green. January 18, 2016. Archived 14 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  27. ^ "YouTuber Marques Brownlee Talks Ten Years of Tech". NPR.org. 21 August 2019. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  28. ^ Alexander, Julia (August 9, 2019). "Marques Brownlee launches a new tech podcast called Waveform". theverge.com. Archived November 8, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  29. ^ Spangler, Todd (2019-04-19). "YouTube Orders Marques Brownlee 'Retro Tech' Original Series". Variety. Archived April 14, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  30. ^ Ackerman, Dan. "Marques Brownlee explains why he's diving into the Retro Tech you love". CNET. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
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  32. ^ "Marques Brownlee Monthly YouTube Statistics". Social Blade. Archived October 31, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  33. ^ "Forbes 30 Under 30 2021: Social Media". Forbes. Archived December 20, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  34. ^ Neelakandan, Laya (April 25, 2023). "YouTuber Marques Brownlee gets into the sneaker game with high tops for Atoms". Fast Company. Archived April 29, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  35. ^ Sternlicht, Alexandra (22 February 2024). "In a 'great signal for creators,' YouTube star Marques Brownlee adds a corporate gig to his résumé at accessories company Ridge". Fortune. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  36. ^ Zhao, Claire (May 25, 2024). "YouTube star MKBHD becomes MKPHD". Fast Company. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  37. ^ Staff. "See who won a ‘chaotic’ Creator Classic at Philly Cricket presented by YouTube - PGA TOUR". www.pgatour.com. Retrieved 2025-12-26.
  38. ^ Roth, Emma (25 September 2024). "Marques Brownlee says 'I hear you' after fans criticize his new wallpaper app". The Verge. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  39. ^ Peters, Jay (12 October 2024). "Marques Brownlee says 'we failed on the price' with Panels". The Verge. Archived 14 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  40. ^ Merritt, ByMatty. "Tech reviewer MKBHD's Panels app is a dud". Morning Brew. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  41. ^ Weatherbed, Jess (December 1, 2025). "MKBHD is taking down his wallpaper app". The Verge
  42. ^ Shakir, Umar (13 November 2024). "MKBHD got himself in trouble again". The Verge. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  43. ^ "MKBHD apologizes after speeding 96 mph on 35 mph road in deleted YouTube scene". Dexerto. 2024-11-12. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
  44. ^ Art, Pop Culture & (2024-12-16). "Marques Brownlee faces backlash after police footage reveals multiple traffic violations". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  45. ^ Sohail, Omar (2024-12-17). "Popular Technology YouTuber MKBHD Has Been Pulled Over Multiple Times For Various Traffic Violations, As Shown By Newly Surfaced Bodycam Footage". Wccftech. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  46. ^ "Police bodycam footage reveals MKBHD’s driving offenses" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo USA. 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  47. ^ "Marques Brownlee Opens Second YouTube Hub 'The Studio' For Behind-The-Scenes, Vlogs". Tubefilter. 2021-07-27. Archived January 7, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  48. ^ McElligott, Suzanne (April 27, 2023). "MKBHD's Take on the Hyundai Ioniq 6". U.S. News & World Report. Archived February 27, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  49. ^ Brownlee, Marques Keith (18 December 2019). "More incredibly, though, we finally actually did it. 10,000,000 of you subscribed to the channel. So there it is. It's my Dad's middle name, too. And his Dad's. We're all MKBs, I'm just the first HD one 🤓". No. 1207325131539959808. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
  50. ^ Brownlee, Marques Keith (2011-12-03). MKBHD Update 7.0 (Video). pp. 0:47. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-08-27. So, today is my 18th birthday.
  51. ^ Fisher, Michael (October 25, 2013). "Pocketnow VIP, episode 3: meet Marques Brownlee from MKBHD! – Pocketnow". Pocketnow. Archived from the original on October 28, 2013.
  52. ^ "Exposing MKBHD's Fake Videos (Studio Tour)". Linus Tech Tips. May 9, 2017. Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 26, 2017. – via YouTube.
  53. ^ Yang, Avery (July 24, 2019). "Famous Tech YouTuber Has Side Gig as Ultimate Frisbee Pro". NBC New York. Archived November 24, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  54. ^ Rubin, Alex (2022-08-28). "New York Empire Caps Off Undefeated Season With Second AUDL Championship". Ultiworld. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  55. ^ Strod, Jesse (2022-08-02). "WUCC 2022: PoNY Get Revenge on Ring in Gold Medal Match (Open Division)". Ultiworld. Archived November 24, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-11-24.