Google Photos images will automatically appear brighter and more realistic on Android 14

A standard dynamic range image at left compared with an Ultra HDR (Image credit : Android Authority) A glaring omission from last week's Google I/O developer conference was an Android 14 preview. However, Google did reveal a function known as Ultra HDR. Compatible apps will be able to display images with a wider range of colors and brightness on Android smartphones running Android 14. And because premium Android phones already have the necessary hardware to handle Ultra HDR, if you update your phone to the most recent Android build in August, you'll get this new feature. The Google Photos app will enable Ultra HDR, according to Forbes. Although third-party app developers will have to make their own decisions regarding whether to support the technology, most well-known apps are likely to do so because Adobe is making it simple for them to do so. The way the technique operates is by adding a Gain Map—an additional layer of data—to a regular JPEG image. [caption id="attachment_173089" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Image credit : WinXDVD[/caption] According to Adobe, whose patent explains how to create Gain Maps and how to store them in a standard jpeg file, "Images optimized for High Dynamic Range (HDR) displays have brighter highlights and more detailed shadows, resulting in an increased sense of realism and a greater impact." According to Adobe, there is a problem because these photos can appear differently on different devices. Because Ultra HDR is backward compatible, apps that don't support it will still be able to display the image in SDR. The image from Google that is embedded in this post demonstrates the difference. A SDR image can be seen on the left, while the brighter, more colorful Ultra HDR image can be seen on the right. In the Android Developers Blog, Google informs app developers that "the framework automatically renders these images in the UI in HDR when your app opts into using HDR UI for its Activity Window."