YouTube Goes Mobile In A Whole New Way
1 February 2008YouTube has been viewable on mobiles since November 2006, but recently it unveiled a new mobile service that is supposed to carry tens of millions of YouTube’s videos.
Back in November 2006, YouTube first ventured out to deliver a few clips through Verizon Wireless’s VCast. Last year it created a mobile Web site that allowed viewing of some content on Sprint and AT&T phones. The iPhone came out with a YouTube button, but since Apple doesn’t like Flash, the videos had to be converted to play on the iPhone.
Dubbed m.youtube.com, YouTube’s new mobile service will not only carry a large majority of YouTube’s content, but it will also have new personalization and community features. Users will be able to subscribe to channels and it will be much easier to define and access favorite videos. There is also a feature that allows users to upload video content directly from their mobiles.
When a user first takes a look at the new site, he is met with a friendly warning, “YouTube Mobile is a data intensive application. We highly recommend that you upgrade to an unlimited data plan with your mobile service provider to avoid additional charges.” If uploading videos and joining lots of channels is a priority, take YouTube’s advice.
Handsets must have streaming capabilities and a 3G network to view the site, which includes only about 100 million devices worldwide. The site is currently free of ads and it sounds like that won’t change anytime soon. Google bought YouTube for $1.76 billion, so it has enough money in the bank to wait for users to become used to and comfortable with watching videos on their mobiles, then Google can start selling ads with impressive viewing numbers as backing.
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