When it's Google presented Ultra HDR by Google, it was clear they weren't going to stop at regular HDR. Why? Because it's usually… well, usual. And who wants to be normal when they can have Ultra?

In May, Google introduced the new Ultra HDR format with the release of Android 14 Beta 2. The goal? Support for 10-bit HDR images, which will be fully compatible with regular JPEG images. So if you have a display that doesn't support HDR, the images will be displayed as SDR. But when you display them on an HDR screen, the colors and contrast will really come to life.

Ultra HDR by Google * on Google Photos

The first app to support the new Ultra HDR format, is of course Google Photos. And while that's great news for all of us who want our pictures to look their best, there's something else: other third-party apps will also be able to take advantage of this feature with Android 14.

The best part of it all? You will be able to use the full power of your modern screen and camera on your latest phone and display your photos in excellent quality while maintaining the JPEG format. So you can send those images through the Google Photos link and they'll still be visible on a normal SDR screen. Sure, they won't look as good, but hey, at least you tried!

Google has raised the bar again with Ultra HDR by Google. And while it may seem like Ultra HDR is just another in a line of technological innovations, it's clear that it will change the way we share and experience photos. And if your friends haven't heard of Ultra HDR, you can always tell them, "Oh, that's so last year!"