It’s official: Pixelmator, the sleek alternative to Photoshop, joins the Apple family. An acquisition that could well redefine the future of photo editing on iOS.
After the announcements of Apple M4 products, Apple announces the acquisition of Pixelmator, the application born in Lithuania which has made a name for itself in image editing since 2007.
Pixelmator’s announcement on Friday was a surprise. If the team ensures that there will be “ no change » immediately for existing applications, history teaches us that Apple’s acquisitions often end with a deep integration of the acquired technologies.
Users of Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS and Photomator can therefore expect significant developments in the coming months. The real question is not so much if these changes will take place, but rather when and how they will manifest themselves.
This acquisition comes in a particular context where Apple is intensifying its efforts in artificial intelligence applied to images. The recent deployment of the “ Clean Up » on iOS is clear proof of this. This feature allows you to remove unwanted elements from photos, clearly positioned as a direct competitor to Google’s “magic eraser”.
Pixelmator’s expertise in image editing, combined with Apple’s colossal resources, could well result in some interesting things.
A closed ecosystem
Notable point: Pixelmator is currently only available on Apple platforms (iOS, macOS, iPadOS and visionOS). This exclusivity is likely to be maintained, or even strengthened, definitively closing the door to a possible Android or Windows version.
Finally, the history of application buyouts by tech giants has taught us to remain cautious. How can we not think of Wunderlist, this task management application adored by its users, bought by Microsoft in 2015? After a few years of minimal maintenance, the application was simply shelved to be replaced by Microsoft To Do, a much more basic version which never managed to match its predecessor.
Google is not left out in this area. The acquisition of Snapseed in 2012 is still remembered. This revolutionary photo editing application, which was the leader on iOS and Android at the time, saw its development slow down considerably after its acquisition.
While the app still exists, it has only received minor updates in more than ten years, gradually losing its technological edge. The most innovative features were gradually integrated into Google Photos, diluting the very essence of what made Snapseed strong.
Pending approval from regulatory authorities, this acquisition remains subject to regulators’ decisions. Apple, true to form, refuses to comment on the news, which leaves mystery surrounding its precise intentions for the future of Pixelmator.
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