PICO, a new perceptual image codec, slashes bitrates by 2.3‑3× versus AV1, AV2, VVC, ECM, and JPEG‑AI while maintaining on‑device speed. Engineers tested millions of configurations to balance visual quality and runtime.

User studies confirm PICO outperforms leading learned codecs by 20‑40% in bitrate, yet still encodes a 12MP photo in 230 ms and decodes in 150 ms on an iPhone 17 Pro Max—faster than many GPU‑based models.

Unlike most learned codecs, PICO offers cross‑platform robustness guarantees, ensuring consistent performance across devices. The study’s objective metrics stem from large‑scale human ratings, giving the results practical relevance for mobile imaging.

PICO’s combination of compression efficiency, speed, and portability positions it as a viable replacement for legacy codecs in mobile photography and streaming pipelines.