Android 14’s Ultra HDR feature may be limited to select Galaxy phones

Last week, Google unveiled more Android 14 features during the Google I/O 2023 event. The company revealed that it is bringing Ultra HDR, among other things, to devices running Android 14. Some Galaxy fans were curious to know if the feature would make it to Samsung's smartphones and tablets with a future update, and Samsung has offered some information about it.

Android 14's Ultra HDR feature may be limited to Galaxy phones and tablets with HDR-capable screens

Samsung's official forum moderator for the camera section revealed that Android 14's Ultra HDR feature is not just a camera feature but also requires a device to support HDR display. Most smartphone cameras these days can capture HDR images, but many devices don't save them in HDR format. Since the Ultra HDR feature requires an Android phone to capture images and videos in HDR and then display them with the same dynamic range on an HDR display, the feature may be limited to higher mid-range and high-end phones.

This feature allows the camera to capture an HDR image and save it in a 10-bit format. Then, the stock Gallery app on the phone can display that image or video in 10-bit format on an HDR-capable screen.

Only some Galaxy A series phones and all recent Galaxy Note, Galaxy S, and Galaxy Z series phones feature screens that are capable of displaying HDR content. Hence, only those devices may get Android 14's Ultra HDR feature. However, Samsung still hasn't clarified which phones and tablets will get the feature, and things may get clear only when Samsung releases the One UI 6.0 beta update sometime later this year.