Mobile phone users can at last enjoy the world’s most popular video file sharing website on their phones. YouTube Mobile has finally been launched as a super-streamlined version of the original site. The videos can be streamed on any phone that can view RTSP/3GP files with H263/AMR. Note that as yet, it does not work on Windows Mobile 5 or Palms.
The site itself is very sparse with a random selection of short clips running down the side of the page. You can sort them by various categories including Most Viewed, Featured and Top Rated. There is however an initial warning before entering the site warning that the service could put a severe dent in your mobile bill! It states:
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.
This is not the first time YouTube clips have been available on mobiles. Previously, the company had exclusive deals with Verizon in the USA and Vodafone in the UK but this is the first time they’ve stepped out alone. However, this new service is quite disappointing at the moment. The amount of clips is extremely limited and only a tiny fraction of the main site’s videos are on there. Searches for your favourite clips will invariably find no results and most of the clips are no longer than 3 minutes long. Once all the content has been made available, this is surely going to be one of the most visited mobile sites out there.
