So if you use the app, hitting the bell would give you a push notification for any new videos on a channel, if it works correctly?
Jeez, that would annoy me like hell, i already get enough crap from work alone as notifications on my phone...
I also do not use the app though, even on the iPad i just use the webplayer. And i never even watch on the phone.
I am subbed on YT to EEVBlog, one of the few i'm actually subbed to. I reliably get the new videos on the YT mainpage, when they are released. The latest one, #1520, was posted first here in the forum though, correct? Because i saw the thread on monday, but only yesterday the video showed up on the mainpage, with "released 15 minutes ago".
I have mentioned it elswhere already, but for me as a pure watcher, it appears to me that subscribing to a channel does not really seem to matter, as long as i primarily use the YT mainpage to get new videos.
For example i am not subscribed to Thunderf00t, but is still see his new videos there. The same with several channels i regularly watch, but have not subscribed.
On the other hand, channels i have subscribed to, but do not regularly watch, do not appear on the mainpage anymore. It even seems to be somewhat selective for a single channel. A particular channel i'm subscribed to regularly releases a video every monday. It also releases more videos, but these are very irregular, and i rarely watch these. Only the monday video regularly appears on the mainpage.
So essentially the subscription is little more than a bookmark with a small purple dot for new activity.