Apple should bring back Aperture after acquiring Pixelmator

Pixelmator, the company behind popular image editing software for macOS and iOS, is officially being acquired by Apple. While I was initially skeptical about the deal, I now hope that Apple will use Pixelmator’s expertise to bring back Aperture.

Pixelmator is under Apple’s control and it’s time for Aperture to return

For those unfamiliar, Aperture is a professional photo editing software developed by Apple. Essentially, it competed with apps like Adobe Lightroom, with advanced features that let you not only organize your photos, but also edit them using various controls. In 2014, with the release of the new Photos app, Apple discontinued Aperture and iPhoto.

Before this, Apple had never shown any interest in creating a replacement for Aperture. Instead, the company is adding more features and controls to the Photos app, which now allows users to quickly change settings like the exposure, shadows, contrast, and sharpness of a photo.

That’s why I was concerned about Apple’s acquisition of Pixelmator. Pixelmator currently has an app called Photomator, which is focused on photo editing and also competes with Lightroom. Personally, I use Photomator a lot, especially on the iPad. The app works great with touch screen and Apple Pencil.

I’m not a fan of the new Photos app in iOS 18 and still prefer editing photos in the dedicated app rather than Apple Photos. I really hope that with this acquisition, Apple builds on the foundation of Pixelmator and Photomator to bring back professional photo editing software rather than complicating the Photos app.

Pixelmator has great software and I’m sure some of its features will work very well in the Apple Photos app. I believe Apple will introduce things like super resolution to enhance photo quality using machine learning, which is a very popular feature of Pixelmator. But I’m still hoping to see a dedicated app like the old Aperture or the current Photomator.

For now, Pixelmator says nothing will change in its software, especially since the deal is still contingent on regulatory approval. But judging by Apple’s previous acquisitions, the company is likely to shut down the app and gradually incorporate its technology into its own apps.

What do you think would be the best solution for the future of Pixelmator under the Apple umbrella? Let me know in the comments section below.

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