High Dynamic Range (HDR) content, with its expanded range of colors and brightness, has become increasingly prevalent in photos and videos captured by modern smartphones. While HDR can enhance the viewing experience on capable displays, showcasing the vividness and detail of the captured scene, its automatic activation can sometimes lead to undesirable outcomes, particularly in low-light environments. The sudden bursts of brightness from HDR content can be jarring and even uncomfortable, especially when viewing videos or images on social media platforms where HDR capture is often enabled by default.
Samsung, with its upcoming One UI 7 update, is addressing this issue by introducing a system-wide toggle to control HDR content playback. This “Super HDR” toggle, found within the display settings, allows users to disable HDR processing across all applications. Although the toggle’s description suggests its function is limited to displaying the full range of colors and contrast in images captured by Galaxy devices, its actual impact is broader, effectively managing screen brightness for all HDR content, regardless of the source. This provides users with greater control over their viewing experience, preventing unexpected brightness surges.
Apple’s iOS, in contrast, currently lacks a specific setting to control HDR content. While enabling low power mode can indirectly disable HDR playback, it also triggers a cascade of other system changes, making it a less-than-ideal solution. For Instagram users on iOS, there’s a dedicated option within the app’s settings to disable HDR playback, providing some relief. However, this option is exclusive to iOS and absent on Android, highlighting the value of Samsung’s new system-wide toggle.
The introduction of the “Super HDR” toggle in One UI 7 signifies a significant step towards user-centric control over HDR content. This feature empowers users to choose when and how they experience the benefits of HDR, preventing unwanted brightness spikes and ensuring a more comfortable viewing experience in various environments. The ability to globally disable HDR playback offers a level of granular control that is currently lacking in other mobile operating systems.
Beyond the immediate benefits of managing brightness, the “Super HDR” toggle also addresses a larger issue related to the increasing prevalence of HDR content. As more devices capture HDR by default, users are increasingly exposed to its effects, whether desired or not. Samsung’s solution acknowledges the evolving media landscape and provides a much-needed tool for users to tailor their viewing preferences according to their individual needs and environmental context.
The contrast between Samsung’s proactive approach and Apple’s current lack of a dedicated HDR control mechanism underscores the differing philosophies towards user customization and control. While workarounds like low power mode or app-specific settings offer some degree of control on iOS, they lack the elegance and comprehensiveness of Samsung’s system-wide toggle. As HDR content continues to proliferate, it’s likely that other manufacturers will follow suit, providing users with more fine-grained control over how they experience this increasingly prevalent media format.
