Dolby Vision vs. HDR10 vs. HDR10+
To boost colour vibrancy and enhance image quality, smartphones often include HDR or ‘high-dynamic range’. This technology started to become a common sight on phones and TVs in the 2010s, gradually establishing itself as a key display feature.
However, HDR is not the only display technology on offer. In this guide, we’ll be comparing HDR to another popular alternative – Dolby Vision – to see how they stack up against each other.
If you’re curious about seeing HDR or Dolby Vision for yourself, there are many supported handsets in our contract and SIM-free ranges.
What is HDR?
HDR is a type of signal that significantly increases image brightness, colour levels and contrast. It does this by providing displays with a greater contrast ratio (hence the ‘high-dynamic range’ in HDR), which in turn produces images that look far more true-to-life compared to SDR (standard-dynamic range).
HDR10 vs HDR10+
The difference between HDR10 and HDR10+ comes down to peak brightness. HDR10 is the standard version of HDR and supports up to 1,000 nits; you’ll typically see this on older smartphone displays. HDR10+ pushes this further with support for 4,000 nits, which has a profound effect on image quality, vividness and clarity.
HDR10+ plays a large role on premium devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, making them a must-have if you want the very best visual experience on a smartphone.
What is Dolby Vision?
Dolby Vision is the brand’s own version of HDR, and it differs from standard HDR in one key way: dynamic metadata. What metadata does is give instructions to the display, ranging from colours, contrast and brightness. Dynamic metadata aims to be more reactive, providing instructions for each scene rather than just the whole video. HDR10+ also supports dynamic metadata, but it is absent from the standard version.
The end result of dynamic metadata is an image that’s significantly more optimised, making full use of the display’s capabilities to showcase each scene as the creator intended.
Is Dolby Vision better than HDR?
When looking at the numbers, Dolby Vision creates a more vibrant image compared to HDR. It can reach an impressive nit count of 10,000, which is far higher than the 4,000 supported by HDR10+, and is capable of outputting content at a 12-bit colour depth. For context, this means a Dolby Vision display has a potential colour range of 68.7 billion.
However, this doesn’t mean Dolby Vision is always the out-and-out winner. Many smartphone displays aren’t capable of supporting features like 12-bit colour depth, and HDR10 is compatible with a wider range of content. Display features like resolution play their part, too, so the overall result of HDR and Dolby Vision can vary from phone to phone.
Availability
Here are some of the smartphones which support HDR10, HDR10+ and/or Dolby Vision.
HDR10
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• Google Pixel 7a
HDR10+
• Samsung Galaxy A55
• Samsung Galaxy A35
• Samsung Galaxy S23 FE
• Xiaomi 13T
• Nothing Phone 2
• Nothing Phone 2a
• Motorola Edge 50 Pro
Dolby Vision
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• Samsung Galaxy S24
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
• Samsung Galaxy Fold 5
• Google Pixel 8
• Google Pixel 8 Pro
HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are all crucial to the smartphone experience, with their own advantages and disadvantages. If you want the brightest and most curated image possible, Dolby Vision is the option for you. Likewise, if you simply want a good-looking display without the bells and whistles, HDR10 and HDR10+ achieve this with ease.
Another factor to consider when watching HDR and Dolby Vision content, particularly at 4K resolution, is battery life. We have put together a handy guide to help you find the phones that excel in this area.