Netflix app updated for 1080p HDR on iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, forthcoming iPhone X

An update to the iOS Netflix app brings HDR video to Apple's new crop of phones including the iPhone 8 family and November's iPhone X, but as of yet, the feature has not been added to the Apple TV version of the app.

The new version of the app adds Dolby Vision support to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, plus the 10.5-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. HDR video support for the Apple TV 4K in an app update that was made available before the new set-top box even shipped.

HDR content can be specifically searched for on the app. At present, the HDR content available from the streaming company is limited to self-produced programming.

The Netflix app on the iPhone and iPod touch supports streaming up to 720p resolution in iOS 7.0 and later, but is limited to 480p in iOS 6.0 and earlier. The iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X support streaming up to 1080p.

Any iPad supports streaming up to 720p in iOS 7.0 or later, and 480p in iOS 6.0 and earlier. Any iPads with a Retina Display supports streaming up to 1080p.

The current version of the Netflix app requires iOS 9.0 or later. The app itself requires 117MB of storage space.

7 Comments

tipoo 1121 comments · 14 Years

About 7 years ago

The 8 and the 7 seem to have all the same display characteristics apart from true tone, 625 nits max brightness, 1:1400ish contrast ratio, same display gamut, and true tone should make no difference to HDR.

So, any idea why the 8 gets support and the 7 does not? Really the spec for LCDs is 1000 nits for LCD, and 600 I think for OLED (because of the black level), so even the 8 is kind of fudging it, but then I don't know why the 7 can't.

Avieshek 100 comments · 7 Years

Shouldn't the iPhone X and atleast the latest iPads support Quad-HD (2K) resolutions?

Wonder, if Dolby Atmos support would ever come or one will have to wait for iPhone 9?

curtis hannah 1834 comments · 12 Years

tipoo said:

The 8 and the 7 seem to have all the same display characteristics apart from true tone, 625 nits max brightness, 1:1400ish contrast ratio, same display gamut, and true tone should make no difference to HDR.

So, any idea why the 8 gets support and the 7 does not? Really the spec for LCDs is 1000 nits for LCD, and 600 I think for OLED (because of the black level), so even the 8 is kind of fudging it, but then I don't know why the 7 can't.

Yeah, Apple stated the iPhone X has the support, but the iPhone shouldn't, and the 7 and 8 have same screen minis true tone based on description.

Wood1030 11 comments · 7 Years

And yet I still can't watch Netflix in 4k on my 5k iMac. Come on Netflix!

fishbert 35 comments · 16 Years

tipoo said:

The 8 and the 7 seem to have all the same display characteristics apart from true tone, 625 nits max brightness, 1:1400ish contrast ratio, same display gamut, and true tone should make no difference to HDR.

So, any idea why the 8 gets support and the 7 does not? Really the spec for LCDs is 1000 nits for LCD, and 600 I think for OLED (because of the black level), so even the 8 is kind of fudging it, but then I don't know why the 7 can't.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus support playback of HDR video, but neither of them actually has an HDR display.
My best guess is that it's meaningful for airplay-ing video over to an HDR-capable Apple TV 4K and an HDR television or something like that.

And why iPhone 7 and 7 Plus don't support HDR video playback may have something to do with Apple now making the GPU (just a guess).