Apple has reportedly purchased UK-based photography company Spectral Edge. The company, whose website is now shutdown, has developed a mathematical technique for improving photographs in real-time.
Bloomberg reports Spectral Edge’s algorithm is able to enhance low-light smartphone images and was created in 2014 from academic research at the University of East Anglia. That technology could be used to enhance the iPhone’s camera, adding new capabilities to the camera in future iPhones.
The technology developed by Spectral Edge captures an infrared shot and then blends it with a standard photographic image, making images crisper and offering improved color accuracy. Apple could use the firm’s machine learning techniques to improve the iPhone’s photo capabilities.
Apple hasn’t officially confirmed the acquisition or announced a purchase price, which is normal for the Cupertino firm. However, Bloomberg reports Apple corporate lawyer Peter Denwood has been named a director of Spectral Edge, with other advisors and board members now terminated. This bit of information indicates Apple now owns the company.
