Pixelmator has earned a reputation for its intuitive design and comprehensive tools, making it a favorite among both amateur and professional photographers. The app’s interface and features align seamlessly with Apple’s design philosophy, making it feel like an Apple product.
An image of Pixelmator’s Photomator app on iPhone. | Image credit — Pixelmator
Apple’s acquisition of Pixelmator aligns with its ongoing strategy to expand its services revenue. Gurman speculates that it is unlikely that Apple would integrate Pixelmator’s features into the free Photos app, as this would undermine the potential for a separate, subscription-based professional photo editing service.
Personally, I am excited to see how this acquisition will influence iOS, iPadOS and macOS in the future. I have been using Pixelmator since the first version of the app on macOS and was ecstatic when it expanded to iOS. Now, the apps have reached Pro levels and are my go-to for image — and even a little video — editing. However, I’m also slightly wary of the potential cost of a subscription-based service. It will be interesting to see how Apple balances the features and pricing of “Photos Pro” to appeal to a broad range of users.