Updated
Updated · MacRumors · May 12
Apple Buys Color.io, Hiring Creator Behind Tool Used by 200,000 Users
Updated
Updated · MacRumors · May 12

Apple Buys Color.io, Hiring Creator Behind Tool Used by 200,000 Users

7 articles · Updated · MacRumors · May 12
  • January EU disclosures show Apple bought Patchflyer, the one-person company behind Color.io, and brought founder Jonathan Ochmann onto its staff.
  • Color.io had already shut down on Dec. 31 after about five weeks' notice, following Ochmann's November message that he was joining a larger company to work at greater scale.
  • The web-based app was popular with photographers and filmmakers for film-like color grading, custom color models and a broad set of image-manipulation tools.
  • Apple has not said how it will use the technology, but Color.io's features and Ochmann's expertise could feed into pro apps such as Final Cut Pro or Pixelmator Pro.
  • The same EU filing also listed Apple's PromptAI acquisition, a computer-vision startup purchase that had already been reported.
Can Color.io's acclaimed indie spirit survive its integration into Apple's massive corporate ecosystem?
With its latest creator tool purchase, is Apple building a true rival to Adobe's Creative Cloud?
Will Apple's new color tech be a free iPhone upgrade or locked behind its pro subscription?