Google is working on a massive Google Photos quality upgrade
Google is preparing to activate a Google Photos update that will enable a huge upgrade in picture quality, according to a new report.
As discovered by prolific software sleuth @AssembleDebug and revealed via their (now private) Telegram group, the latest Android version of the Google Photos app contains new code hinting at imminent support for Google’s game-changing Ultra HDR image format.
Announced at this year’s Google I/O developer conference back in May, Ultra HDR images contain a much wider range of brightness and shadow information than standard Jpeg files. This means Ultra HDR support will, for the first time, allow Google Photos users to view still images using the full range of tones and colors their cameras and displays can offer. The leap in picture quality should be similar to the difference you see when upgrading to an HDR-capable TV from a standard SDR model.
New code strings, found in version 51.0.561138754 of the Google Photos app (APK mirror link for the impatient) include:
- Ultra HDR disabled
- UltraHdrPreviewFragment
- EDITOR_ULTRA_HDR_PREVIEW
- photos_mediadetails_details_ultra_hdr
The existence of the above code fragments shows that work is already underway to support the new format in Google Photos, although the code has not yet been activated. Of course, support in Google Photos is useless without the ability to create Ultra HDR images in the first place, so I fully expect Google’s camera app to add this capability in the near future. Ultra HDR isn’t expected to be a Pixel 8 exclusive feature, but it would definitely make sense for Google to have it ready in time for the forthcoming product launch this October 4.
More About Ultra HDR
A key benefit of the Ultra HDR format is that existing apps will be able to process and display the new files like normal jpegs. This means users will be able to capture and share Ultra HDR photos without having to worry about whether other people are able to display them.
Ultra HDR builds on the jpeg format using Adobe’s “gain map” technology, which encodes the HDR information into a separate portion of each jpeg file. Legacy apps can simply ignore this information, but Google Photos (and other supporting apps) will be able to use the gain map data to reconstruct and display full HDR photos.
You can read more information about the format in my previous story about Ultra HDR, which also provides links to demos you can try for yourself if you have compatible hardware.
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