Apple Wanted to Buy Halide to Boost iPhone 18 Pro's Camera App-Now There's a Lawsuit
MacRumors • • general
Key Points:
- Apple considered acquiring Lux Optics, the developer of popular iPhone camera apps including Halide, to enhance the iPhone 18 Pro's Camera app, but acquisition talks fell through in mid-2025.
- Following the failed acquisition, Apple recruited Lux co-founder and designer Sebastian de With, who joined Apple's design team in January after being fired by Lux CEO Ben Sandofsky over alleged financial misconduct.
- Sandofsky has filed a lawsuit against de With accusing him of misusing over $150,000 in company funds and improperly sharing Lux's confidential materials and source code with Apple.
- Apple is not named in the lawsuit and is not accused of wrongdoing, though its interest in Lux's intellectual property was a key factor in
