Marques Keith Brownlee (/mɑːrˈkɛzˈbraʊnli/mar-KEZBROWN-lee; born December 3, 1993), also known professionally asMKBHD, is an AmericanYouTuber,influencer,[1] and professionalultimate frisbee player,[2] best known for his videos reviewing technology devices.[3] As of July 2025, he has more than 20 million subscribers across all channels and billions of total video views. In 2013,Vic Gundotra, a former senior vice president ofGoogle, called Brownlee "the best technology reviewer on the planet right now".[4] At the10th Shorty Awards in 2018, he was named "Creator of the Decade".[5] The username of his YouTube channel is aconcatenation of MKB (Brownlee's initials) and HD (forhigh definition).[6]
WithNew York PoNY, Brownlee is the 2022WFDF World Champion in the Open Category for ultimate Frisbee.[7] In 2024,Time magazine named him to its "TIME100 Most Influential People in AI" list.[8]
Online career
Brownlee joinedYouTube on March 21, 2008.[9] He first started uploading videos in January 2009, while still in high school, about new products or reviews of products he already owned.[10][11] He produced his first videos throughscreencasting.[11][12]
Review sites have promoted Brownlee's reviews.Engadget promoted the site in January 2012 when they featured his tour of the then-newcloud storage service called Insync.[13] In November 2013, one of Brownlee's mostviral videos was posted based on theLG G Flex, where he performed various scratch tests to demonstrate the self-healing ability of the device.[14][15] In December 2013, Brownlee did an interview withMotorola CEODennis Woodside.[16][17]
Brownlee's video review and scratch test of a rumored 4.7-inch sapphire display for the iPhone 6, uploaded July 7, 2014,[18] gained immediate popularity, being featured on sites such asThe Verge,[19]HuffPost,[20][21]CNET,[22]Time magazine,[23] and others.[24][25] As of November 2024[update], the video has gained over 9.2 million views onYouTube and has had over 60,000 likes.[18]
In December 2015, Brownlee interviewed professionalNBA basketball playerKobe Bryant.[26] During one of the2016 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.[27]
In April 2018, Brownlee wonShorty Awards Creator of the Decade.[28] In August 2019, Brownlee began co-hosting a technologypodcast,Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast.[29] that is commonly referred to asWaveform orWVFRM. The podcast is focused on product reviews and interviews with figures influential in the technology industry.[29]
Retro Tech is aYouTube Original series produced byVox Media Studios starring Brownlee, which was published on December 2, 2019.[30] 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.[31]
Brownlee reached 10 million subscribers on December 18, 2019,[32] making MKBHD one of the most-subscribed-to technology-focusedYouTube channels.[33] 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 theForbes 30 Under 30 listing in its social media category.[34] In April 2023, Brownlee collaborated with footwear brandAtoms to create thehigh-top Sneaker 251, named after the duration of his first YouTube video.[35] In February 2024, he joinedeveryday accessories companyRidge as a board member and chief creative partner.[36]
In September 2024, Brownlee launchedPanels, aniOS andAndroid app for browsing and downloading hand-picked wallpapers. The app drew widespread criticism from the tech community, mainly for its implementation of asubscription 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 allowingAI-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]
Speeding
On November 11, 2024, Brownlee published a sponsored review for aDJIaction camera that attracted significant backlash regarding apoint-of-view shot of him driving at 96 miles per hour (154 km/h) in a neighborhood that had aspeed limit of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h). It was also noted that thespeedometer 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.[41][42]
Marques Keith Brownlee[45] was born on December 3, 1993,[46] and grew up inMaplewood, New Jersey. He attendedColumbia High School, graduating in 2011, and studied at the Howe School atStevens Institute of Technology, where he majored in business and information technology.[6][47] Brownlee graduated in May 2015 and became a full-timeYouTuber. His videos were produced at his apartment until he moved out in 2016; he now works out of a studio inKearny, New Jersey.[48]
Ultimate Frisbee Association
Brownlee is a professionalultimate frisbee player for theNew York Empire of theUltimate Frisbee Association (UFA),[49] who were the UFA champions in2019, 2022 and 2023.[50] Brownlee previously played for thePhiladelphia 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 leagueMajor League Ultimate.
On July 31, 2022, Brownlee won theWFDF World Ultimate Club Championship with New York PoNY.[51]
^ab"The Tato Show: After Hours – Episode 2".droidlife. January 24, 2013.Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. RetrievedJanuary 9, 2014.We will also have a very special guest, Mr. Marques Brownlee who runs the YouTube channel MKBHD
^Savov, Vlad (July 11, 2014)."This flexible sapphire display for the iPhone 6 might be real".The Verge.Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. RetrievedNovember 13, 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.
^Hiscott, Rebecca (July 11, 2014)."Apple Patent Hints The 'iPhone 6' Will Be Made Of Indestructible Glass".HuffPost.Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. RetrievedNovember 14, 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.
^Hiscott, Rebecca (July 8, 2014)."This 'iPhone 6' Screen Looks Nearly Indestructible".HuffPost.Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. RetrievedNovember 14, 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."
^Newman, Jared (July 8, 2014)."Apple's iPhone 6 Will Probably Have an Unscratchable Screen".TIME.Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. RetrievedDecember 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.
^Andronico, Michael (August 15, 2014)."Here Are the Features Shoppers Want Most in an iPhone 6".NBC News.Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. RetrievedNovember 14, 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.
^Smith, Dave (July 21, 2014)."Here's What Happens When The iPhone 6 Meets Sandpaper (Hint: It's Not Good)".Business Insider.Archived from the original on November 14, 2024. RetrievedNovember 14, 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.
^Brownlee, Marques Keith (December 3, 2011).MKBHD Update 7.0 (Video). Event occurs at 0:47.Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. RetrievedAugust 27, 2024.So, today is my 18th birthday.
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