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Here's how much space Apple's new HEVC video format saves on an iPhone 8

by Daniel Petrov / Sep 19, 2017, 9:01 AM

Apple's new high efficiency video codec fits a minute of 4K 30fps video in 170 MB, compared to 350 MB before

The new iPhone 8, X and 8 Plus are Apple's first phones to come with the space-saving, highly efficient HEVC video format, which will be brought to older handsets as well, along with the iOS 11 update that is released today. This format's compression algorithms usually allow for up to twice less storage space occupied by recorded video footage, with barely a loss in image quality at that.

Here's how much space Apple's new HEVC video format saves on an iPhone 8

The iPhone 8, X and 8 Plus are also Apple's first phones capable of 4K video recording with the whopping 60fps smoothness, so how much space would recording in HEVC save compared to the older format?

Well, as you can see in the shot above, Apple lists a minute of 4K 30fps video on the iPhone 8 to occupy approximately 170 MB, whereas the same amount, definition and frame count was previously listed to take the whopping 350 MB, as you can see on the right.

Thus, the promised 50% reduction in storage space needs that HEVC is supposed to bring may hold water in the end. Still, if you shoot in the new 4K 60fps format, a minute of such detailed footage will ring in 400 MB of your storage, so plan accordingly.

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19 Comments

1. Ahsanzafar

Posts: 36; Member since: Jun 07, 2015

the space 4k 30fps takes on iPhone 8 is equal to 1080p 30fps on iphone 7 .. thanks me later

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 9:17 AM 0

13. Arch_Fiend

Posts: 3951; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

1080p at 60fps is more accurate than 30fps, after all the amount used at 30fps on an iphone 7 is 40mb less than the 170mb used for recording 4k at 30fps on an iphone 8 but recording at 1080p at 60 fps on an iphone 7 is 175mb so only a 5 mb difference.

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 12:32 PM 0

19. sgodsell

Posts: 7365; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

First of all it's great to have high video compression like this one. However VP9 has roughly the same compression. The major difference between HEVC and VP9 is cost and openness. Plus VP9 is already supported on every browser except Apple's Safari. Even things like YouTube, Facebook, and others already support VP9. HEVC is proprietary and OEMs have to pay a fee per device in order to use it. VP9 is open. Ultimately if you use this format, you will still have to convert to something else if you want to post your videos.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 3:11 AM 1

20. uncle_gadget

Posts: 1050; Member since: Sep 20, 2017

More accurate at doing what? Most movies are filmed at 30FPS or less. 60 frames just makes the file bigger. Its nto always better. All you are doing is adding more frames. so think of it this way. Let's say you record a ball bouncing. Getting 60 extra frames just means you basically would have 2 instead of 1 frames for a segment of the video. Every 2 frames would look identical.

posted on Sep 20, 2017, 1:23 PM 0

2. mikehunta727 unregistered

These are ridiculously good savings!

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 9:30 AM 4

4. NoAllegiance unregistered

Does Youtube support HVEC?

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 10:07 AM 0

6. mikehunta727 unregistered

I believe so

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 10:30 AM 0

7. abdoualgeria

Posts: 928; Member since: Jul 27, 2015

Only in chrome and Firefox ( windows )

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 10:46 AM 0

5. talon95

Posts: 998; Member since: Jul 31, 2012

Once again, as long as it's open and royalty free I think it's a good idea. Would be nice to see hardware enabled encrypt and decrypt that worked on all devices for one standardized format. I don't care if it's VP9 H256 or HVEC as long as it works on everything. Just like every phone in the world should use USB-C going forward, and the same wireless charging standard.

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 10:20 AM 0

8. zothen

Posts: 15; Member since: Mar 26, 2012

This article's headline is inaccurate: "...Apple's new HEVC video format" HEVC is an open video codec standard and has been supported on processors in high-end and mid-ranged budget Android phones for quite some time (as well as various other platforms). So there isn't anything particularly special about the space savings from the info given in this article. But hey, if you are reading this, it means the headline grabbed your attention and you opened this page, and that's all that really matters to these sites, not integrity. The "special" feature in the new iPhones is the HEVC 4k @ 60fps recording. Up until now, iPhone and Android phones could only record HEVC 4k video @ 30fps. The 60fps HEVC 4k videos will still be twice as large as the 30fps videos of the same format (HEVC 4k). No magic here.

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 10:57 AM 5

9. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

Apple's new HEVC video format? Funny how a lot of websites make it sound Apple invented this codec

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 10:59 AM 3

10. toukale

Posts: 631; Member since: Jun 10, 2015

It's similar to how a lot folks on the android sides like to say android oem's are innovative when they adopt industry standards before like you know. Inductive charging, oled screens, LTE, waterproofing etc... boy I thought Android vendors invented all those industry standards, who knew android oem's did not invent those things.

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 11:45 AM 3

12. RebelwithoutaClue unregistered

Never read anyone or a site claiming they were android or android manufacturers inventions. And at least samsung improved oled dramastically and brands like Motorola and LG worked on LTE together with others like Nortel. So if you thought they were android oem inventions, that's on you

posted on Sep 19, 2017, 12:24 PM 0

14. toukale

Please, those things are listed on the interweb as innovative ideas from the android camps all the times. Whenever Apple adopt anything (standards) that android oem's adopted first, you get this "oh this has been on android for years comment when it's a standard that can be adopted by anyone at anytime. So don't try to play it down now when it happens basically everyday on this very website.