iPhone 12 now supports 4K videos in HDR on YouTube. With the recent arrival of the new iPhones (i.e. iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max and 12 Mini), some applications are applying changes in order to cooperate together nicely. One of those applications is YouTube.
This improvement is given by the support offered by the screens of the new models of the iPhone with the HDR image mode (High Dynamic Range). In fact, the iPhone 12 Pro is capable of recording video in HDR. And this is the way to view HDR content on the new version of YouTube for iOS.
- You can now order the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max
- How to play YouTube videos in the background on the iPhone?
- GitHub removes YouTube-DL source code
Accessing HDR content with iPhone 12
Before we go any further, we must clarify that not all videos on YouTube will offer the option of viewing in HDR mode. Only some videos are compatible. So, the easiest way to try this improvement is to look for a video with this format. Just type HDR to find one of these videos.
Youtube Signature Devices certificate
However, HDR content is not exclusive to the iPhone 11 and 12. There are currently quite a few models with Android that offer access to content in this format on the streaming video platform. In order to have this possibility, models that want to access video in the highest quality must have the YouTube Signature certification.
Thanks to the YouTube Signature Devices seal and the collaboration with different manufacturers, the platform certifies that the devices meet the performance requirements to offer the user the best experience to watch YouTube. These are the criteria they must meet:
HDR: Must offer support for HDR (High Dynamic Range) video to provide better contrast, color and more detail.
360º videos: It must offer support for 360º videos that can be used with augmented reality viewers.
4K Decoding: It must have the support for 4K video decoding to ensure that the device will be able to play the video in its fullest definition smoothly.
Frames per second: The screen has to be able to play videos at more than 60 fps for smooth playback.
Next-generation codecs: The mobile must support VP9 Profile 2 hardware decoding, an advanced video codec technology that allows you to watch HD videos using less bandwidth.
DRM performance: Finally, the phone has to be able to play any copyright-protected video smoothly and without interruption.
iPhone 12 has all these features, so you will be able to watch HDR videos on Youtube with your iPhone 12.
