Apple considered acquiring Halide maker, talks collapsed into legal feud
What's the story
Apple was interested in acquiring Lux Optics to improve the iPhone 18 Pro's Camera app, The Information reported. However, the talks fell through and were followed by a legal battle between the start-up's co-founders. The report said that in summer 2025, Apple held acquisition discussions with Lux Optics, the company behind popular iPhone camera apps Halide, Kino and Spectre.
Post-acquisition developments
Apple tried recruiting de With after acquisition talks fell through
After the acquisition talks fell through, Apple started recruiting Lux's co-founder and designer Sebastian de With. This came after Lux CEO and co-founder Ben Sandofsky reportedly fired de With in December over financial misconduct. De With announced his new role at Apple's design team in January, further complicating the aftermath of the failed acquisition discussions.
Legal proceedings
Sandofsky has now sued de with
Sandofsky has now sued de With in California Superior Court of Santa Cruz. The lawsuit accuses him of misappropriating over $150,000 from Lux for personal expenses since 2022. It also alleges that he provided confidential information and source code from Lux to Apple. However, Apple's not a defendant in this case and isn't accused of any wrongdoing.
Defense response
De With's legal team has called the lawsuit baseless
De With's legal team has called the lawsuit baseless and denied any wrongdoing on his part. They said he did not use, transfer, or disclose any Lux intellectual property while joining Apple. The defense also claimed that the lawsuit was filed after de With raised concerns with Sandofsky about financial irregularities at Lux and requested access to its financial records and payments.