HEIC — High Efficiency Image Container
HEIC is what an iPhone produces by default from iOS 11 onwards. It wraps HEVC-compressed image data in a container that can also carry depth maps, Live Photo frames and edit history. At comparable quality it lands at roughly half the size of a JPEG, which is excellent right up until you try to open it on Windows, on Android, or in an upload form that has never heard of it.
Strengths
- Roughly half the size of a JPEG at similar quality
- Carries 10-bit colour, depth data and Live Photo frames
- One file can hold a burst, or an edit alongside the untouched original
Limitations
- Windows, most Android builds and nearly every website refuse to open it
- Patent licensing has kept support out of most open-source tools
- Almost nothing outside the Apple ecosystem can export to it