Google Photos App to Get Ultra HDR Support
It seems that the Google Photos app is about to gain compatibility with the Ultra HDR feature. Based on hidden code strings found in the app (version 51.0.561138754), Forbes reports that Ultra HDR support is on its way.
The code strings discovered in the Google Photos app include phrases such as “Ultra HDR disabled,” “UltraHdrPreviewFragment,” “EDITOR_ULTRA_HDR_PREVIEW,” and “photos_mediadetails_details_ultra_hdr.” These findings suggest that Google Photos will soon be able to display photos with a wider range of colors and tones.
It is worth noting that for Ultra HDR support to be fully functional in Google Photos, Android devices will need a future update to allow capturing in Ultra HDR. It is speculated that the upcoming Pixel 8 series may be the first to offer this capability.
Ultra HDR technology adds an additional layer of information, called a “gain map,” to standard JPEG images. This enhancement significantly improves the quality of photos, similar to the difference between watching standard SDR television and upgrading it to Ultra HD.
One significant advantage of Ultra HDR is its backward compatibility, meaning that photos taken using this feature can still be viewed on apps that do not support Ultra HDR. However, on such apps, the images will appear in standard dynamic range (SDR) only.
The update to enable Ultra HDR support in the Google Photos app is expected to be activated before the upcoming release of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, rumored to take place on October 11th.
