Apple Buys LinX: Better MacBook, iPhone Cameras on the Horizon?

Apple reportedly acquired Israeli camera-technology company LinX Computational Imaging Ltd. for about $20 million.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the purchase includes "an array of sensors" used to create 3D image maps.

The Israel-based manufacturer last year launched multi-aperture camera models for effects like background focus blur, parallax images, and 3D picture capture.

"The image quality of mobile cameras has reached a dead end," LinX said last summer. "Device makes are striving to differentiate [but] next-generation cameras do not reveal any dramatic improvements."

The remedy: LinX software, which creates true depth information on high-contrast objects and near-flat surfaces, allowing for accuracy and resolution of details not previously seen in a mobile camera.

Neither LinX nor Apple immediately responded to PCMag's request for comment on the acquisition.

Cupertino did, however, provide its standard statement to the Journal, saying that "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

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Apple's iPhone remains one of the world's most popular mobile camera options, according to data from photo-hosting site Flickr; the iPhone 5, 5s, and 6 rank among the top five, next to Samsung's Galaxy S4 and S5. But there's always room for improvement, and LinX, which develops and markets miniature cameras for smartphones and tablets, promises single-lens-reflex-level images without the unwieldy camera attachments.

There is no word on Apple's official plans for the newly acquired technology. The iPhone is the logical conclusion, though TechCrunch suggested it might also benefit Apple's notebooks. By replacing existing MacBook camera modules with smaller, better performing mechanics, the computers could offer better picture quality—perfect for video chats or desktop selfies.

This marks Cupertino's third dip into the Israeli tech pool, following its November 2013 purchase of PrimeSense, a company whose 3D sensor applications were featured in Microsoft's Kinect and the Asus Xtion Pro PC-based motion-sensing device. Apple also acquired Israel-based flash storage tech company Anobit in early 2012, taking with it Anobit's 95 patents.