Apple Considered Buying Halide's Creator Lux Optics: Inside the Failed Deal and Co-Founder Clash

Apple considered acquiring the developer of the Halide app — Lux Optics. This became known during a court case between its co-founders.

What is known

Negotiations for a potential deal took place in the summer of 2025. In addition to Halide, Lux Optics also creates the apps Kino, Spectre, and Orion, which offer enhanced mobile photography capabilities. If acquired, Apple could integrate these technologies into its own Camera app to expand its capabilities.

However, in September the parties did not reach an agreement. Co-founders Ben Sandofsky and Sebastiaan de With decided that further development of Halide could increase the value of the company, so negotiations were suspended.

Afterward, a conflict arose between the partners: Sandofsky accused de With of misusing funds. Ultimately, de With was dismissed from Lux Optics, and later joined Apple's design team.

It is expected that new shooting capabilities may appear in future generations of iPhones along with software updates.

Source: The Information