YouTube adds three more handsets, namely the Huawei P30, the P30 Pro, and the HONOR View 20, to its list of YouTube Signature devices. By being a YouTube Signature device, users get a guarantee from the video streaming platform that these smartphones, in addition to other handsets already included in YouTube’s list, offer the best possible content consumption experience.
For YouTube to include a device to its list of YouTube Signature devices, it has to support several technologies or offer hardware features that result in an improved content consumption experience. Among these features are support for watching 360-degree and high dynamic range (HDR) video, ability to decode 4K video and clips encoded in next-generation codecs, show video clips at high frame rates, and support for digital rights management (DRM).
Support for HDR videos allows people to better view details shown on video footages due to the display’s higher contrast, while adequately supporting 360-degree videos permits users to manage their viewing experience through controls displayed on-screen or through VR headsets.
Meanwhile, the ability to decode 4K videos and files encoded using next-generation codecs like VP9 allow YouTube to show high-resolution videos with clear details while consuming significantly less bandwidth. However, the video streaming platform requires YouTube Signature devices to decode next-generation codecs through hardware, which helps reduce the power consumption of devices while watching high-resolution videos.
Furthermore, YouTube requires devices included in the list of YouTube Signature devices to support both smooth playback of video clips with frame rates higher than 60fps and digital rights management. The support for latter technology allows devices to easily view premium content, which includes rental movies and shows streamed over YouTube TV.
The Huawei P30, the P30 Pro, and the HONOR View 20 all feature hardware components and software features necessary to provide users with enhanced YouTube viewing experience. The P30 and the P30 Pro feature OLED displays that support the DCI-P3 color gamut, while the View 20 sports an IPS LCD panel. However, despite the differences in screen technologies, all three handsets can correctly display HDR10 content.
Users should notice that despite the support for decoding 4K videos, it is not necessary for YouTube Signature handsets to ship with very high-resolution displays. For example, all three devices, as well as several smartphones previously designated as YouTube Signature handsets, only sport a 1080p display.
With the addition of the P30, the P30 Pro, and the View 20, the number of YouTube Signature devices increases to 32. Among the handsets already included in YouTube’s list are smartphones from Xiaomi, Samsung, Sony, LG, and Google. Interestingly, YouTube has not yet incorporated Samsung’s latest flagships into the list of YouTube Signature handsets, although previous premium handset offerings from the South Korean tech giant, like the Galaxy Note9 and the Galaxy S9, have been added to the list several months ago.
By designating the handsets as YouTube Signature devices, consumers who will buy these smartphones will get an idea on the content consumption experience that they will get from these devices. This recognition is especially important for more premium devices like the P30 and the P30 Pro, which the performance and experience it offers to consumers are necessary for justifying the high price of the handsets.