Four Android phones now support Netflix HD; is your handset one of them?

If there ever was an app tailor-made for a global pandemic, it's Netflix. With original content like Ryan Murphy's Hollywood, the black comedy Dead to Me, and the last season of Fuller House now available to stream, there is always something for everyone to binge-watch on the app. On its website, Netflix keeps a list of Android phones that can stream content in HD and in HDR10. These handsets provide Netflix subscribers with a better looking picture.

For your device to play Netflix in HD, it must have a resolution of 720p or higher and your internet service must have a steady download data speed of at least 25Mbps. Most phones these days have a screen with a 720p resolution or higher. Netflix requires a minimum download data speed of 25Mbps for HD. Netflix suggests that if you're streaming its content in HD and HDR10, you should make sure that your Android phone has been updated with the latest version of Android.

Four new phones are now able to view Netflix video streams in HD. They are the Asus ROG Phone II, the Asus ZenFone 6 (2019) and TCL's two recently released new phones named the TCL 10L and TCL 10 Pro. The Asus ROG Phone II is a gaming phone with a large 6.6-inch 1080p display equipped with a 120Hz refresh rate. This means that the display is updated 120 times per second; the phone was released just last year, The Asus ZenPhone 6 was launched in May 2019 and features a 6.4-inch display with a 1080p resolution. Both the TCL 10L and TCL 10 Pro were released in the states just last month. The pair both feature a 6.5-inch 1080p screen. The Asus ROG II and the TCL 10L also support HDR10 on Netflix.

Last year, Netflix blundered by listing the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL as supporting HD and HDR10 a month before the phones were to be unveiled. Those handsets were removed from the lists along with the ROG Phone II and the Samsung Galaxy Fold. At the time, we said that all four phones would probably reappear on the lists since their removal was simply due to Netflix being premature. As it turned out, the ROG Phone II, Pixel 4, and Pixel 4 XL all support both Netflix HD and Netflix HDR10 while the Galaxy Fold supports the latter.

You can find the list of smartphones that support Netflix in HD and HDR10 on the Netflix website. If your phone is not on the list, there are certain chipsets that support Netflix HD and HDR10 including a wide range of Snapdragon SoCs starting with the Snapdragon 630 and continuing all the way to the current top-of-the-line Snapdragon 865. But having one of these chipsets powering your handset is not a guarantee that your device will indeed stream at a higher resolution. You'll have to check it out yourself to make sure.

And we should point out that many carriers cap the resolution of streaming video on an unlimited data plan at a DVD-quality 480p even if your phone is compatible with Netflix HD or HDR10. But if you're home and using your Wi-Fi network, you should be able to view Netflix at the higher HD and HDR10 resolutions depending on whether your phone is capable of doing so..

To receive Netflix in HD, you need to subscribe to the Standard plan at $12.99 per month. Streaming in HDR requires the Premium plan which costs $15.99 per month.