iPhone X not recommended' for YouTube binge-watching

YouTube is a service that’s indispensable in today’s age on modern devices. Whether you are using an iPhone or a cheaper Android smartphone, YouTube is used alike. Until a few years ago, the viewing experience was uniform across most devices in various price brackets. However, with the introduction of new technology standards, YouTube has gone the extra mile to enhance the experience for flagship smartphone users. And, in their recent Device Report, they have even mentioned the smartphones that deliver the best YouTube experience. YouTube calls these the Signature Devices.

In order to comply with the requirements of YouTube’s Signature Devices, a smartphone needs to support high dynamic range (HDR), high frame rates, reliable DRM performance, 4K decoding, and use next generation video codecs. YouTube says that with a Signature Device, you can enjoy vivid HDR videos, immersive 360° video, and fast video load times — all while using less bandwidth.

YouTube has handpicked a selection of smartphones that qualify as Signature Devices. They claim to have worked with manufacturers to verify these devices meet or exceed YouTube’s performance expectations.

The smartphone that tops the list is Samsung’s latest Galaxy Note 9 phablet. The Galaxy Note 9 features a huge 6.4-inch super AMOLED display, which we found to be the best in business when it comes to colour vibrancy. The display can support up to a maximum of only 1440p resolution, but still meets rest of all YouTube’s requirements.

If you care about 4K resolution videos, then YouTube certifies Sony’s Xperia XZ2 Premium, which boasts of a 5.8-inch 18:9 display. Additionally, some of the most recently unveiled flagship smartphones from various manufacturers in the Android universe have made it to the list — HTC U12+, LG G7 ThinQ, LG V30, OnePlus 6, Xiaomi Mi 8, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, Sony Xperia XZ2/Compact, Samsung Galaxy S9/S9+, Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Huawei Mate 10 Pro, Google Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL and Nokia 8 Sirocco.

Surprisingly, YouTube has excluded the complete range of iPhones from the list. Both the iPhone 8 series and the iPhone X can deal with high-res videos modern codecs. The iPhone X even has support for HDR colour tones. It’s weird that cheaper Android phones that don’t necessarily meet all the requirements for becoming a part of YouTube’s exclusive club are up on the list while Apple’s flagship iPhones don’t find a mention. You Tube also hasn’t mentioned the reason anywhere for the omission of the world’s favourite smartphone series from its recommended list.

Nonethless, if you own any one of the aforementioned devices, then you can enjoy the best YouTube-watching experience possible in the present.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 First Impressions

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