Perceptual Image Codec: What Matters in Practical Learned Image Compression
Summary
Apple introduces PICO (Perceptual Image Codec), a practical learned image codec optimized for the human visual system. The work reports substantial bitrate savings versus traditional codecs and competitive on-device speed, supported by large-scale subjective studies and on-device benchmarks. While promising, the results are primarily presented via arXiv/personal data and require further validation and peer review for broader adoption.