Photo editing Pixelmator: Apple wants to take over developer team
The development team behind Pixelmator is expected to be taken over by Apple. What this means for apps and customers remains unclear.
(Image: Pixelmator Team)
The development team of the popular image editing software Pixelmator will probably soon belong to Apple. Pixelmator has already signed the purchase agreement with Apple, as the company surprisingly announced on Friday. However, regulatory authorities still have to approve the deal. This will give the development studio, which was previously based in Lithuania's capital Vilnius, "a new home" and enable it to tap into a larger customer base in the creative segment.
What will become of Pixelmator?
There are no significant changes to the photo tools Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS and the Photomator apps "at this time", the developers write, without giving any further details. What this means for subscribers and buyers in the longer term remains unclear. Photomator is based on a subscription model, but can also be unlocked with a one-off purchase. Pixelmator Pro is sold as a one-off purchase exclusively via the Mac App Store.
Whether Apple will ultimately continue to develop Pixelmator and Photomator as independent programs or use them to expand the functions in its own apps such as Photos remains to be seen. The company's approach is different: Shazam continued to be sold under the existing name after the takeover, but was also integrated more deeply into Apple's operating systems. The automation tool Workflow, on the other hand, disappeared after the acquisition, but eventually returned as a shortcuts app.
AI functions move into focus
Apple's major strategic maneuvers in the creative software market date back decades in some cases, such as the acquisition of Logic. With Aperture, the company offered an in-house photo tool for years, primarily intended for professionals, but stopped further development around 10 years ago. Since then, everything at Apple has revolved around the "Photos" app, which has just been comprehensively redesigned with iOS 18. No significant editing functions were added, with one prominent exception: a clean-up tool belonging to Apple Intelligence can remove distracting image elements. Pixelmator has been offering similar tools based on machine learning for a long time.
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