Apple buys Pixelmator, signals move back into photo editing

The highly regarded Pixelmator Mac-centric image editing applications have just been bought by Apple as it looks to beef up its photo editing toolset.

Pixelmator, the developer of Pixelmator for iOS, Pixelmator Pro, and the Photomator apps, has announced that it has been purchased by Apple. 

"We’ve been inspired by Apple since day one, crafting our products with the same razor-sharp focus on design, ease of use, and performance," it said in a statement. "And looking back, it’s crazy what a small group of dedicated people have been able to achieve over the years from all the way in Vilnius, Lithuania. Now, we’ll have the ability to reach an even wider audience and make an even bigger impact on the lives of creative people around the world."

This brings to an end the company's impressive 17-year solo run. In that time it has become a powerful and lower cost alternative to the Adobe suite of products (not to mention remaining a one-off purchase), and developed some extremely well-regarded tools. Recently it has managed to leverage AI and machine learning in exactly the way that creatives appreciate, pioneering a powerful resize tool and a killer AI-powered mask amongst others.

The agreement is subject to regulatory approval (which, it has to be said, has not been plain sailing for Big Tech in recent months) and the company is at pains to say that there will be no material changes to the Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator for iOS, and Photomator apps for the moment. We don't know how much Apple is paying for it at this time either, that will have to wait until at least the next set of financials released by Cupertino.

What happens next?

Pixelmator is an all-round graphic design tool and Photoshop/Lightroom analogue, while Photomator is strictly a photo editing app. So, what will Apple do with them? 

There are two main routes it can go, which we will call the Dark Sky path and the Logic Pro path.

The Dark Sky path will be the least popular option for existing users. Apple bought the excellent weather app, filleted its technology, and shuttered the app. Yes, it made its own Weather one of the leading and best designed weather apps in the process (though the mighty Carrot is still better in this weather geek's opinion), but Dark Sky was truly excellent, pioneering in many respects, and is still much missed.

Meanwhile, Logic Pro (and Final Cut too) were both bought by Apple back in the Jurassic era and remain standalone apps to this day. You can even add them onto the cost of a new Mac. You might not necessarily agree with the path Apple has taken with the products, especially FCP, but anyone out there still missing Apple's Aperture a decade on will be looking at the Pixelmator acquisition with interest and hoping mightily that this is the way that this particular cookie crumbles.

How it used to be...

tl;dr

• Apple has acquired Pixelmator, known for its Mac-centric image editing applications, in a bid to enhance its photo editing tools.
• Pixelmator has been operating independently for 17 years, offering a cost-effective alternative to Adobe products and integrating AI solutions in their apps.
• The acquisition is pending regulatory approval, and Pixelmator has assured users that there will be no immediate changes to its apps.
• The future of the apps could follow either a path similar to the Dark Sky app, which was closed post-acquisition, or the Logic Pro route, where the app remains standalone and continues to develop.