Although Android 14 was only released recently, we are gradually discovering its new features. Including support for Ultra HDR, which makes photos even brighter in third-party applications.
Android 14 // Source: Frandroid
On October 4th, Google released the first stable version of Android 14 as part of its Made by Google conference. The operating system is currently only available on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, but it will gradually be available on many other models as well . This is at least enough to delve into the smallest nooks and crannies of Android 14 and learn more about its new features. Including support for Ultra HDR.
Ultra HDR on Android 14, what it will change
This is a new feature discovered by Android expert Mishaal Rahman, as he explains in a post on Reddit. In fact, Google had already formalized the launch of Ultra HDR last May during Google I/O 2023. First of all, Ultra HDR is a new type of JPEG file called “JPEG_R”. The latter includes a gain map, a metadata mechanism that combines SDR and HDR renderings within the same image. If the screen is HDR, the image is displayed in HDR; On the other hand, if the screen is SDR, the image will be displayed in SDR.
Two Pixel 7, one with SDR display, the other with HDR // Source: Mishaal Rahman on X
This gain map also tells applications where to increase and where to decrease brightness. All of this has the advantage that compatible Android devices do not have to resort to larger file sizes such as RAW or HEIF files.
Some applications already use Ultra HDR
This allows Google Photos and the Pixel Google Camera to support this file type. But the change could be bigger. Android 14 includes APIs that allow third-party apps to support HDR images, such as Google Chrome, says Mishaal Rahman. This is already the case with Google’s web browser, which is compatible with so-called “absolute” HDR files, i.e. those in AVIF or 10 bit (without compression).
However, this function is not supported by all smartphones. Only the latest and sufficiently powerful models can support Ultra HDR. This format requires more resources and, most importantly, hardware support, which is not found everywhere. For Pixel smartphones, this currently affects the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel 7a and the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. It’s unclear whether Google will bring Ultra HDR to its older models.