Apple's new Adaptive HDR arrives with iOS 18 and it's backward-compatible
A screenshot from Apple's presentational video about Adaptive HDR | Image credit – Apple
Key differences between HDR and SDR
So, a bit of clarification!
SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) and HDR (High Dynamic Range) are two different technologies used in displaying images and videos.
SDR is what most people are used to seeing on their TVs, phones, and computers. It has a limited range of brightness and color, which means the darkest parts of an image might look too dark, and the brightest parts might lack detail.
On the other hand, HDR expands this range significantly. It can show much brighter whites and much darker blacks, making images look more lifelike and without losing details. Think of it like upgrading from a basic coloring set to a deluxe set with more shades and brighter colors.
In simpler terms, HDR makes everything on your screen look more vibrant and realistic compared to SDR. It can show more details in both bright and dark areas of a scene, making it feel closer to what our eyes naturally see in the real world.
Apple's Adaptive HDR
Apple released a 34-minute-long video on Adaptive HDR that's aimed at developers, but the key features of this new technology are:
- Backward Compatibility: The new Adaptive HDR technology seamlessly integrates with existing SDR systems, ensuring no disruptions for users.
- Single file storage: Adaptive HDR stores both SDR and HDR data in a single file, simplifying content management and sharing.
- Dynamic adaptation: The technology adapts between HDR and SDR to ensure correct display across different devices.
The iPhone 15 series will be the first to adopt Adaptive HDR with iOS 18 when the new operating system arrives in some months' time.
Things that are NOT allowed: