Android 14 comes with ultra HDR, which is situated on devices, giving a chance for the capture of images in a High Dynamic Range. The feature improves photo quality and adds vibrancy to colors with more details. However, it is limited only to specific devices and mostly part of dedicated camera apps.
Unlike others, Ultra HDR Android in 14 captures in JPEG format. Files in this format are playable on almost any device. If opened on a non-HDR display, such images show the SDR versions. HDR-capable devices, on the other hand, do represent the complete color gamut.
More significantly, the Camera2 API does support Ultra HDR for dedicated camera apps. The casualty here is still the third-party apps, including social media apps, which do not benefit from it yet. On the other hand, the CameraX API does not support Ultra HDR, limiting its more general use.
Recently, CameraX library updates have pointed out that support would be coming shortly. Version 1.4.0-alpha05 of that library includes an initial implementation of Ultra HDR capture. While this does hold out hope, wide availability remains speculative.
Currently, the primary application supporting Ultra HDR is Google Chrome, available on Android and desktop. After capturing, however, there are only a limited number of devices capable of producing and displaying an Ultra HDR image appropriately most of the time.
Phone manufacturers rebrand Ultra HDR with different names. OPPO, OnePlus, and Realme call it Pro XDR. Nothing calls it Ultra XDR, while Samsung calls it Super HDR.
