Netflix officially certifies 23 more devices for HD incl. OnePlus 7 Pro, Pixel 2/3/3a, more

Damien Wilde | May 31 2019 - 5:15 am PT

Netflix has certified a further 23 devices for full HD playback with the updated list now officially including the Pixel 2, 2XL, 3, 3XL, newly released 3a and 3a XL, alongside the OnePlus 7 Pro, and Huawei P30 Pro.

Because Netflix uses its own DRM and container formats, the ability to view HD content on phone or tablet is all about whether a device has the critical Widevine L1 license. If a handset does not have support for L1 Widevine, then that means you’re limited to 480p (eurgh!) content when streaming or downloading from the Netflix app.

It really doesn’t matter how powerful your device is, or the screen resolution. No L1 Widevine license, no HD or HDR playback. Most of the time, devices do support the license, and Netflix actually tests and certifies each device for HD playback.

That’s why the new list includes a few familiar faces, that we already know are capable of HD playback but hadn’t been officially confirmed. Here are the 23 new devices — including tablets — added to their HD compatibility list (via Android Police).

Honor WaterPlay 8
Huawei MediaPad M5 10 (CMR-AL09, CMR-W09, CMR-AL19, CMR-W19)
Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Lite (HDL-AL09, HDL-W09)
Huawei MediaPad T5 10 AGS2-L09, AGS2-W09, AGS2-W19, AGS2-L03)
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Samsung Galaxy View 2 (SM-T927A)
Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
Honor Play (COR-L29)
Huawei P Smart+ (INE-LX1)
Huawei P30 and P30 Pro
OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro
Razer Phone 2
Samsung Galaxy A10
Samsung Galaxy A20 and A20e
Samsung Galaxy A30
Samsung Galaxy A40
Samsung Galaxy A50

For Pixel owners wondering why the Pixel 2 and 3 have only just been added to this list, it seems to just be a long overdue update. It’s worth noting that Netflix does certify specific chipsets — including the Snapdragon 835 and 845 found in the Pixel 2 and 3 — for HD playback.

The mid-range Pixel 3a also has been added to the certified list but only the Pixel 3 has official HDR playback listed on the Netflix site. So yes, you’ve been able to enjoy HD Netflix on all Pixel devices, it’s now just officially official.

As for the HDR playback compatibility list, it now includes the Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro, OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro, the Honor Play, and the Razer Phone 2.

One glaring omission is that of the popular Pocophone F1, which, as you may know, has only just received Widevine L1 certification. Poco fans will be disappointed but we are led to believe it should support the playback of HD video when using the app.