Disclosed are an apparatus and method for improving digital image playback by switching among a plurality of displayed playback images according to a control signal generated from a user input. The apparatus includes a playback image generating unit (in an embodiment, a digital signal processor), which generates a playback image by using image data included in an image file. A display unit displays the playback image generated by the playback image processor. A detecting unit determines the duration of the control signal generated from the user input, and the playback image generating unit adjusts a specified speed of switching among a plurality of playback images according to the input of the control signal and the specified speed of switching playback images is adjusted according to the detected duration.