Apple first adopted HEIC in iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra, making it the new standard for iPhone photo capture. With its advanced compression technology and replace JPG as the default photo format, HEIC is a more efficient way to store and share photos.
Despite how mainstream JPEG is, Apple had strong reasons to embrace the HEIC format instead. Below, we’ll explore the most common differences between HEIC vs JPG and why Apple went with HEIC. HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Format, and it’s a new format that was created by Apple in order to improve on the JPEG format. JPG is a widely used image format that has been around for many years now, but it’s not as efficient as HEIC. JPG can take up more space on your device, and it can also suffer from compression issues if you use too much data in a single image. One of the main benefits of using HEIC is that it can be stored on your device in an uncompressed form. This means that you won’t have to worry about compression issues when you upload an image to social media or store them on your computer. Additionally, HEIC images are much smaller than regular JPG files, so they can be stored easily on your phone or computer.
HEIC vs. JPG – Storage
HEIC is a variant of HEIF that uses HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Container) or H.265 video compression standards to encode pictures.
Apple’s Craig Federighi revealed that HEIC offers up to two times the compression of a standard JPEG image. That’s not an exaggeration. In our tests on the iPhone, we found HEIC to consistently compress images at 40-50% compared to similar images shot in the JPEG format.
JPEG images are typically much smaller than HEIC images, which allows you to store more photos in the same amount of space.
Apple’s main focus is on space savings, so you may not see the same compression levels in HEIC (or HEIF) images shot outside of an iPhone, such as with the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. But the resulting files should still amount to a lot less than a legacy JPEG storage-wise. ..
HEIC vs. JPEG – Quality
The Heic format uses compression to reduce file sizes, but it also matches the JPEG format in terms of visual quality.
The HEIC format is technically superior to the JPG format in a number of ways. First, it can store more data in a given space, which makes it better for photos and videos. Second, it has a higher resolution than JPGs, meaning that images will look sharper and more detailed. Finally, HEIC files are less likely to be corrupted or lost than JPG files. ..
The new camera has a number of improvements over the old model. For example, it has extended dynamic range, 16-bit colors, and depth information. Additionally, it is non-destructive so you can make changes without affecting the image itself.
The iPhone’s camera can only capture images in 10-bit color, but you can still get great-looking images at just half the file size by using the HEIF format.
Apple’s Live Photos captures image sequences, which can save subtle differences in frames instead of capturing separate images.
HEIC vs. JPG – Compatibility
Any iPhone or Mac running iOS 11 or macOS High Sierra can open HEIC images. Most platforms outside the Apple ecosystem also support the format. However, there are a few asterisks involved. First, not all HEIC-capable devices are created equal. For example, some older iPhones and Macs don’t support the format, while newer models do. Second, not all apps are HEIC-compatible. Third, not all files are HEIC-compatible. Finally, not all file formats can be opened in all apps and on all devices. ..
In Windows 10, you must download the relevant codecs separately from Microsoft. This is because the HEVC codec needed to decode HEIC images is not available for free from Microsoft.
Windows 10 should be able to run on an Intel 6th-gen CPU or later to decode HEIC images. If not, software decoding can result in performance issues. ..
The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) has released a new update to the Android operating system that includes a fix for an issue that prevented some devices from opening HEIC images. However, there are still many devices that can’t upgrade beyond Android Oreo 8. If you’re one of these devices, you may need to take action and downgrade your phone to Android Pie 9 or later in order to be able to open HEIC images.
Apple has taken into account compatibility issues when designing the iPhone. ..
If you attempt to upload or attach a HEIC image to native or third-party apps (such as Mail), iOS will automatically convert it to a JPEG.
Your iPhone should also convert HEIC files to JPEG when copying them to a PC (or to a HEIC-incompatible Mac) over USB manually. You can find the setting that manages this under Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC.
Adobe’s Lightroom and GIMP now support the HEIC format, which should help it gain more traction over time. ..
What’s the Best?
JPEGs are often too small to see, and can have artifacts that make them difficult to read. Heic images are much higher quality, and can be used for a variety of purposes such as online graphics, photos for social media, and even professional photography.
You have compatibility issues with your iPhone. But, it’s relatively easy to convert HEIC files to JPG as and when needed. On the iPhone, that should automatically happen while sharing images without you even noticing.
If you want to shoot in the JPEG format on your iPhone, you can go to Settings > Camera > Formats and select Most Compatible. This should be available on other HEIC (or HEIF) supported photo capture devices. ..
For most people, we recommend sticking to HEIC images over JPGs. The space savings are a big plus, but the technical advantages of HEIC images can play a role years down the road. ..
