YouTube Recommends Best Phones for Watching Videos

Samsung has launched its flagship device Galaxy Note 9. As Samsung announced the new device, the company said that Note 9 is a “YouTube Signature Device”. So actually YouTube has launched a feature that certifies a device as the best for watching YouTube videos. In short, YouTube will now recommend the best phones for video playback.

YouTube says, “With a Signature Device, you can enjoy vivid HDR videos, immersive 360° video, and fast video load times – all while using less bandwidth. To qualify as a Signature Device, a phone must support high dynamic range, high frame rate, reliable DRM performance, 4K decoding, and use next-generation video codecs.”

This also means that not all the devices even if they are a company’s flagship phones can be considered the Signature Device. It seems that Apple’s iPhone doesn’t fulfill YouTube’s criteria for a Signature Device, best for watching videos. Reason for this is that Apple does not support the VP9 video codec. This is the reason why Apple’s Safari can not stream YouTube videos in 4K.

Despite all this, it does not make the iPhone a bad choice and Samsung a good choice for watching YouTube videos. It just means that Apple’s iPhones do not meet YouTube’s Signature device criteria.

Read also: YouTube released dark themes for Android phones

18 devices have been included in YouTube’s recommended list that along with Note 9 are Pixel 2 XL, the OnePlus 6, LG G7 ThinQ, Xiaomi Mi 8, the HTC U12 Plus and other Android phones.

YouTube said, “These smartphones can deliver the best-in-class YouTube experience by combining next-generation technologies, video performance, and reliability.”