Apple considered buying a company called Lux Optics to enhance the Camera app in the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro with the company’s Halide app.
However, last summer’s discussions about the acquisition fell through last September and now there’s a legal brouhaha between the startup’s co-founders and Apple, according to The Information.
The article says Lux co-founders Ben Sandofsky and Sebastiaan felt they could increase the value of the company by making more updates to the Halide app. However, here’s where it gets complicated. According to The Information:
° Since the negotiations with Apple fell through, Sandofsky sued de With for allegedly misusing company funds for personal use.
° de With was fired in December 2025.
° He then went to work at Apple (where he had worked in the past), joining the Design Team.
° A Lux lawsuit against Apple claims de With took some of the company’s “confidential materials” with him to Apple.
Halide offers photographic tools for, among things, “zero-AI, minimally processed shots” on the iPhone and iPad. It’s a free download at the Apple Store, but does offer in-app purchases (which you would probably need).
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