HEIC is the file format name for High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) images. Apple uses HEIC in iOS 11 and later devices. It stores images with better quality and smaller file sizes than JPEG.
Technical Specifications
Based on HEVC (H.265) video compression. Supports 16-bit color, transparency, and image sequences (Live Photos).
Advantages
Superior compression (half size of JPEG), high quality, supports depth maps.
Disadvantages
Limited compatibility outside Apple ecosystem (requires conversion for web/Windows often).