ARW vs HEIC

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) uses the HEVC (H.265) video codec for image compression, providing approximately 50% better compression than JPEG at equivalent quality. Apple adopted HEIC as the default photo format for iOS 11+ and macOS High Sierra+ devices. A single HEIC file can contain multiple images (like burst photos or Live Photos), depth maps, alpha channels, and HDR content. HEIC supports 16-bit color depth and wide color gamut (P3), resulting in more vibrant and detailed photos than JPEG. However, HEIC has limited compatibility outside the Apple ecosystem — many Windows applications, web browsers, and social media platforms require JPEG or PNG. Converting HEIC to JPG or PNG ensures universal compatibility while preserving image quality.