In at least the iPhone 5s and 6, it's on Automatic by default and will be used when the OS thinks it will improve the photo. It always stores two copies of the photo (unless you explicitly disable this), so you'll never not have a non-HDR versions. It just means that you'll have two copies of some photos, one of which may be better than the other. I'm not sure why you would turn it off if your phone supports the Automatic option.
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HDR on my iPhone 5s looks more blurry than on iOS7
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In at least the iPhone 5s and 6, it's on Automatic by default and will be used when the OS thinks it will improve the photo. It always stores two copies of the photo (unless you explicitly disable this), so you'll never not have a non-HDR versions. It just means that you'll have two copies of some photos, one of which may be better than the other. I'm not sure why you would turn it off if your phone supports the Automatic option.
1. Because I don't trust the OS to choose when it may or may not be necessary. I know what situations will necessitate HDR and I'll turn it on then; otherwise, it stays off. Same with flash - there are times the OS may think flash is needed, when I would deliberately choose not to use flash for a reason which might not fit the OS' algorithm.
2. Because I don't want a bunch of unnecessary HDR and non-HDR duplicates when the OS decided to use HDR and I didn't want/need it.
For the average person who knows little/nothing about photography and just takes selfies and snapshots at parties, it's probably best to leave HDR and flash set to Auto because there's a chance that the software knows better than they do and they'll end up with better shots. That's exactly why DSLRs and advanced P&S/bridge cameras still have "green box" Auto mode, where the camera makes all the decisions and you just point it and push the button. I think just about anybody with some photography knowledge and experience would prefer to make those decisions themselves.
I can't really say it better than azhava did. I know what HDR is, I know what situations it applies to and I know when it will produce good results and when it won't. Same with the flash. There are lots of times I intentionally turn it off because I happen to like the end result better. Same goes for the focus. It's usually great at figuring out what I'm trying to focus on. But occasionally, I'm not trying to focus on the object in the center of the frame. Sometimes I intentionally want the focus shifted. Sometimes I don't want the auto white-balance, I want to intentionally tweak it.
Auto mode works great for most situations. But it's still just a computer. Sometimes you need to take control from the machine if you want the best photograph possible. Especially when you're not operating under ideal conditions or perhaps you're trying to take an unusual photograph.
If you want to leave things on auto, good for you. But surely you can't believe that a computer will be the best and ultimate judge of what a good photo is. If you know what you're doing, there are times and places to turn things on or off for a better picture. Subjective things that can't be coded into an algorithm.
The two don't strike me as comparable at all. For one, if the iPhone chooses to use the flash, it doesn't save a second, non-flash copy of the photo, so if it chooses poorly (as it often does,) you'll just end up with a crappy photo.
Second, HDR is totally non-disruptive. There are plenty of situations where using a flash is either in poor taste or outright banned, so it's a bit risky to have it on auto. There is no external indication when HDR is used.
Now, I sometimes toggle it on manually in cases where I think I know better than the system, but I always leave it on "auto" otherwise. There have been more than a few times where the system has surprised me by significantly improving a photo that didn't strike me as very contrasty when I was taking it.
The only negative consequence of leaving HDR on auto is that you might get a few extra copies of photos. I can understand this might get old, although I've always been of the habit of taking 4-6 photos of anything worth photographing once, then picking the best one, so a few more copies to sort through is nothing to me…
That is partially correct. There is an on screen indication that HDR is turned on or off. It's up to the user to read.
Isn't there a yellow indicator (bottom middle) when set to automatic, same as flash when it's going to be used?
Well I'm not sure. And trying to find the right light for the auto HDR to kick in can be tricky. That's why asking is easier in this case.
Edit: tried it now with daylight. And yes there is a yellow HDR icon when set to auto and when it's going to be used.