HEIC vs JPG

Apple adopted HEIC as the default because it produces files roughly half the size of equivalent JPGs while maintaining the same visual quality. This saves significant storage space on your device. You can change this in Settings > Camera > Formats.

At the same file size, HEIC delivers noticeably better quality than JPG. At the same quality level, HEIC files are about 50% smaller. HEIC also supports features JPG cannot, like transparency, depth maps, and HDR data.

Windows 10 and 11 can open HEIC files after installing the free HEIF Image Extensions from the Microsoft Store. However, many Windows applications still don't natively support HEIC, making conversion to JPG necessary for broad compatibility.

Yes, there is some quality loss because JPG uses lossy compression. However, at high quality settings the difference is imperceptible. You will also lose HEIC-specific data like depth maps and Live Photo animations.

If you primarily use Apple devices, HEIC saves significant storage with no visible quality loss. If you frequently share photos across platforms or use non-Apple software, JPG ensures maximum compatibility. Many photographers keep HEIC originals and export JPG copies for sharing.