Every smartphone, be it Android, iOS, or any other OS, can play YouTube videos. But as someone who’s more of a binge-watcher, have you ever thought about the best smartphones to watch YouTube videos. Apparently, there is a list of devices that you can check out that has been released by the video-sharing platform itself.
List of YouTube Certified Smartphones (For The Best Experience)
The YouTube certified devices include a varying range of smartphones from Android OEMs. For the uninitiated, YouTube frequently updates its Device Report page where you can see the latest smartphones that according to the company offer the best-in-class YouTube experience. Of course, there are many feature-packed smartphones that are not on this list.
| YouTube Devices | Specifications | Release |
| LG Wing | 6.8-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 765G | Oct 2020 |
| OnePlus Nord | 6.4-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 765G | Aug 2020 |
| Motorola One Fusion+ | 6.5-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 730 | Jun 2020 |
| Motorola Edge+ | 6.7-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 865 | Apr 2020 |
| Motorola Edge | 6.7-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 765 | Apr 2020 |
| OnePlus 8 Pro | 6.8-inch (1440p), Snapdragon 865 | Apr 2020 |
| OnePlus 8 | 6.5-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 865 | Apr 2020 |
| Oppo Find X2 Pro | 6.7-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 865 | Mar 2020 |
| LG V60 ThinQ 5G | 6.8-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 855 | Feb 2020 |
| LG G8X ThinQ | 6.4-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 855 | Nov 2019 |
| Google Pixel 4XL | 6.0-inch (1440p), Snapdragon 855 | Oct 2019 |
| Google Pixel 4 | 5.7-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 855 | Oct 2019 |
| OnePlus 7T | 6.5-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 855+ | Sep 2019 |
| Asus ROG Phone II | 6.6-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 855+ | Sep 2019 |
| OnePlus 7 Pro | 6.7-inch (1440p), Snapdragon 855 | Jun 2019 |
| OnePlus 7 | 6.4-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 855 | Jun 2019 |
| LG V50 ThinQ | 6.4-inch (1440p), Snapdragon 855 | May 2019 |
| Google Pixel 3a XL | 6.0-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 670 | May 2019 |
| Google Pixel 3a | 5.6-inch (1080p), Snapdragon 670 | May 2019 |
| LG G8 ThinQ | 6.1-inch (1440p), Snapdragon 855 | Apr 2019 |
| Huawei P30 Pro | 6.5-inch (1080p), HiSilicon Kirin 980 | Mar 2019 |
| Huawei P30 | 6.1-inch (1080p), HiSilicon Kirin 980 | Mar 2019 |
| Samsung Galaxy S10+ | 6.4-inch (1440p), SD855/Exynos 9820 | Mar 2019 |
| Samsung Galaxy S10 | 6.1-inch (1080p), SD855/Exynos 9820 | Mar 2019 |
| Samsung Galaxy S10e | 5.8-inch (1080p), SD855/Exynos 9820 | Mar 2019 |
| Huawei Honor View20 | 6.4-inch (1080p), HiSilicon 980 | Jan 2019 |
The official list of YouTube Signature Devices further goes on to include smartphones launched in 2017, you can check out the names if you have an older device.
One surprising thing to note here is that there isn’t a single iPhone model in the list of best smartphones to watch YouTube, despite the fact that Apple smartphones provide a top-notch video experience with HDR and sound quality. Also, while the list populates Android devices, the company chose not to include the 2020 Samsung flagship Galaxy S20 series.
How does YouTube decide which smartphones to pick?
The video-sharing platform has provided brief details on what factors it considers while picking smartphones for its signature devices list. The following factors are taken into consideration for best smartphones to watch YouTube videos.
Support High Dynamic Range: The device should support HDR content so it displays better contrast and realistic colors. Common HDR formats include HDR10+ and Dolby Vision which we usually find on smartphones.
Play 360 videos: Thanks to tons of affordable 360-capable cameras like GoPro Max and Insta360, YouTube is home to a lot of videos that give a 360-degree 3D view of the surroundings. These videos are a treat to VR users and users can interact with them as well. Hence, a certified device should be able to play them.
High FPS and 4K decoding: The picture quality we are getting these days is improving as we speak. You can find many YouTube videos shot in 4K60fps or even 8K. These videos are smoother than what you see when running a 30fps video. Hence, the device should pack powerful SoC that can handle 4K decoding without any pain.
DRM Performance: With the ever-increasing content on YouTube, the need to protect the rights of the copyright holders has also increased. So, YouTube checks whether the device it’s picking comes equipped with necessary DRM technologies to prevent unauthorized use, copy, and distribution of the video content.
Anyway, these were the best smartphone to watch YouTube videos which would enhance your bingewatching experience. We’ll update this list once the 2021 smartphones popup on the device report page.
