Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Devices that declare they meet performance class 15 will be required to support Ultra HDR for the main rear and front-facing cameras.
One of the best features introduced in last year’s Android 14 update is Ultra HDR.
An Ultra HDR image is essentially just a JPEG file with some HDR metadata embedded in it so devices with HDR displays can see the HDR version of the picture while devices without HDR displays will only see the SDR version.
How Ultra HDR works With the release of Android 15 last week, Google published the latest iteration of the Android Compatibility Definition Document, or CDD for short.
The Android 15 CDD contains some new provisions related to performance class, a standard first introduced with 2021’s Android 12 release.
Every version of Android has its own corresponding performance class, so there’s a performance class for Android 12, Android 13, and Android 14.
Although Google has yet to update its developer docs to list everything that will make up performance class 15, the Android 15 CDD mentions the new requirements.
The “JPEG_R” you see there is the actual name for the Ultra HDR image format.
However, since the requirement only applies to devices that declare performance class 15, many devices that launch with or upgrade to Android 15 won’t be forced to support Ultra HDR.
With Ultra HDR support becoming more popular, hopefully some third-party camera apps will roll out updates to enable Ultra HDR capture.
Google Authority / Ryan Haines.
TL;DR.
The primary rear and front-facing cameras on devices declaring they meet performance class 15 must support Ultra HDR.
Compatibility Definition Document for Android 15 contains details on this.
However, only a small number of brand-new, high-end devices will claim to meet performance class 15, as it is an optional feature.
Ultra HDR is one of the best features that was added in the Android 14 update last year. It is an image format created by Google that is based on the widely used JPEG format. For the purpose of showing the HDR version of the image on devices with HDR displays and the SDR version only on devices without HDR displays, an Ultra HDR image is essentially just a JPEG file with some HDR metadata embedded in it. Few of the best Android phones take photos in Ultra HDR, which is a problem that the format resolves. It also makes it possible to display high-quality images on both modern and legacy devices. That might not last long, though.
How HDR Ultra is Operated.
The most recent version of the Android Compatibility Definition Document, or CDD for short, was released by Google last week along with the release of Android 15. In order for a device’s hardware and software to be deemed “compatible with Android,” it must comply with a number of requirements listed in the CDD. Google produced this guide to make sure that OEMs produce Android-powered devices that don’t deviate significantly from one another in terms of API availability and system behavior. Of course, OEMs are free to alter AOSP anyway they please and disregard the CDD, but they must comply if they wish to use Google Mobile Services (GMS).
The performance class standard, which was first introduced with the release of Android 12 in 2021, is the subject of some new provisions in the Android 15 CDD. Performance class refers to a group of hardware and software features of a device that surpass Android’s minimum specifications as stated in the CDD. App developers can quickly determine whether a device is capable of high-performance tasks, like hardware-accelerated AV1 decoding, supporting HDR video codecs, and more, by using the performance class.
There is a performance class for each version of Android, so there is one for Android 12, Android 13, and Android 14. By establishing a system property that applications read from, OEMs specify the precise performance class that their products meet. Devices that launch with Android 12 and satisfy the requirements for performance class 12, for instance, are able to indicate that they support performance class 12. Manufacturers of those same devices can choose to report that they support performance class 12 or, if they meet the new requirements, declare that they support performance class 13 when those same devices upgrade to Android 13.
Android Authority / Mishaal Rahman.
It is announced that the Google Pixel 9 is compatible with performance class 14.
Google has not yet updated its developer docs to include a list of all the components that will make up performance class 15, but the Android 15 CDD does include the new specifications. Performance class 15 has undergone many small adjustments, but the two bullet points that follow list the most significant ones.
For the primary front and rear cameras, [7.5/H-1-18] MUST support JPEG_R.
….
The native camera app’s primary rear and front cameras [7.5/H-1-20] MUST by default output JPEG_R.
The Ultra HDR image format is officially known by the name “JPEG_R,” as you can see. The HDR gain map that is embedded in the JPEG file is denoted by the letter R, which stands for Recovery map. Devices that fall under performance class 15 must not only support Ultra HDR for their primary rear and front cameras, but also automatically output images in Ultra HDR when taking pictures with the stock camera app. This is noteworthy because it’s the first time Google has mandated that hardware support its brand-new Ultra HDR picture format.
Nevertheless, many devices that come pre-installed with or upgrade to Android 15 won’t be compelled to support Ultra HDR, as the requirement is limited to those that declare performance class 15. Only high-end Android 15 devices that choose to adopt the performance class standard will be subject to this requirement. Fortunately, though, OEMs are adopting Ultra HDR at an increasing rate without being forced to do so, which is fantastic because, up until recently, each OEM used its own proprietary HDR format. Hopefully, updates to enable Ultra HDR capture will be released for some third-party camera apps, as support for Ultra HDR is growing in popularity.
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