Apple Inc acquired a UK-based start-up with technology that improves photos taken on smartphones.
According to filings made public in the UK on Thursday, Apple corporate lawyer Peter Denwood was recently named a director of Cambridge, England-based Spectral Edge Ltd, while the start-up’s other advisers and board members were terminated.
The documents show that Apple now controls Spectral.
Photo: AFP
Similar filings in the past have revealed other start-up acquisitions by the Cupertino, California-based tech giant, such as the purchase of digital marketing start-up DataTiger earlier this year.
A purchase price for Spectral Edge could not be ascertained.
The start-up last year said that it raised more than US$5 million in funding.
Apple did not respond to requests for comment.
The US company has opened offices in Cambridge in recent years to work on artificial intelligence (AI) for products like the Siri digital assistant.
The UK company uses a type of artificial intelligence called machine learning to make smartphone pictures crisper, with more accurate colors.
Its technology takes an infrared shot and blends it with a standard photo to improve the image.
Photography has become a key differentiator in the smartphone market.
Apple has rapidly added new camera features to the iPhone, including a triple-lens system in the iPhone 11 Pro earlier this year.
It is also planning to add a 3D camera to iPhones next year for improved depth sensing and augmented reality.
Spectral Edge’s technology could contribute to the artificial intelligence Apple already uses in its camera app by continuing to improve the quality of photos in low-light environments.
The start-up has said its technology can be applied via software or chips. Apple’s latest devices include custom processors that assist with picture taking.
Apple’s purchase of the firm is one of several deals it has made this year, including buying Drive.ai’s self-driving car team and acquiring Intel Corp’s smartphone modem business.
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