Ultra HDR is one of the most exciting Android camera innovations in recent memory. Third-party apps will also get its benefits soon.
Smartphone photography has made huge strides in recent years, both in terms of hardware and software – in this case the latter is what we’re talking about.
Although “HDR” (high definition range, where the same image is shot faster with different shutter speeds to enable increased color depth) is probably a vague term for many users, they have rarely been able to enjoy the benefits.
Although many smartphones often achieve an HDR-like effect for computational photography and image stacking, the resulting images are still 8-bit SDR recordings. However, with the introduction of Android 14, several Android smartphones are now capable of capturing true HDR photos in a format called Ultra HDR at 10 bits.
Ultra HDR is an image format developed by Google based on the popular JPEG format. Highlights: Ultra HDR images contain both an SDR and an HDR version in a single file Devices with HDR displays automatically display the HDR version with brighter colors and stronger contrast, while devices without HDR support display the SDR version. This means Ultra HDR images are compatible with almost every device.
To save images in Ultra HDR format, camera apps need to be updated accordingly. Google provided an API for this in Android 14, but it’s part of Camera 2 – a programming interface primarily used by advanced camera apps. However, the CameraX library is available for apps that only need basic camera functions Previously, Ultra HDR support was limited to Camera2.
Now Google has announced that it will also expand the CameraX library to include the ability to record Ultra HDR images. From version 1.4.0, developers should be able to check if a device supports Ultra HDR and save the corresponding recordings in “JPEG/R” format. Older apps and devices without HDR displays display these images as regular JPEGs, while current devices show the HDR version.
Devices that can display Ultra HDR images in their full glory include Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series, Google’s Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 series, and the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open models. Some newer Windows PCs with HDR displays also support the format.
This is how Ultra HDR comes to other camera apps on Android
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