If you caught the Samsung Unpacked 2018 stream live last night, you might have seen something called YouTube Signature Device being used to describe the Galaxy Note 9. If it felt strange that something like that was dropped without much context, don’t worry for you are not alone.
Few hours later, YouTube has since provided that much needed context. So, what is a YouTube Signature Device?
To quote the streaming service:
These smartphones can deliver the best-in-class YouTube experience by combining next generation technologies, video performance, and reliability.
It all sounds like the kinds of things you can only get from top-of-the-line devices, and that’s the gist of it, really. In essence, a smartphone needs to be capable of HDR, 4K decoding, high frame rate which YouTube classifies as anything above 60fps, 360-degree video playback, and use next generation codecs (VP9 for now).
Since YouTube says it will have a new set of criteria every year, that last prerequisite is likely something that will continue to climb, in addition to other features the Google-owned service deems necessary.
So far, there are 19 devices YouTube recognises as its Signature Devices, including the Galaxy Note 9. The other 18 devices includes flagships from other brands dating back to early last year, as far back as the Galaxy S8. You can check the full list from YouTube’s page, but you shouldn’t make buying decisions based solely on a device’s YouTube capabilities.
(Source: YouTube)
