Apple Acquires SnappyLabs, Maker of SnappyCam Burst Photo App [Confirmed]

MacRumors · Jan 4, 2014

Apple has acquired SnappyLabs, a one-man app maker behind the now-discontinued SnappyCam app. The app was removed from the App Store -- along with its website and social media presence -- just before the end of the year.

According to TechCrunch, which first reported the acquisition:

Sources have since affirmed that the company was acquired by Apple, and that there was also acquisition interest "from most of the usual players", meaning other tech giants. I don't have details on the terms of the deal, and I'm awaiting a response from Apple, which has not confirmed the acquisition.

Back in July, SnappyCam was upgraded with new technology, detailed in a now-deleted blog post (still viewable via Archive.org), that explains how developer John Papandriopoulos was able to redesign how JPG images are compressed, allowing the iPhone to shoot full-quality burst mode photographs at significant higher frames per second than other competing technologies, including the new burst mode built into iOS 7.

With the acquisition, it seems likely that Apple will integrate the SnappyCam technology into its native iOS and OS X camera programs and APIs. Apple added burst mode photo shooting to iOS 7, allowing iPhone 5s owners to shoot 10 photos per second at full resolution, in order to get the best shot in action scenes or with fast-moving children.

SnappyCam is no longer available for download from the App Store. Pricing and other details were not revealed, and Apple has not yet confirmed the acquisition.

Update: Apple has confirmed the acquisition to Kara Swisher at Re/code, the new home of the AllThingsD team.

Article Link: Apple Acquires SnappyLabs, Maker of SnappyCam Burst Photo App [Confirmed]

Renzatic · Jan 4, 2014

That was snappy.

sartis · Jan 4, 2014

Well, he is rich.

Traverse · Jan 4, 2014

I'm glad. Anything Apple wants to do to improve the camera functionality of the iPhone is okay with me!

DrManhattan · Jan 4, 2014

Makes sense. Don't buy bloated overpriced developers that really don't do anything.

Buy the small developers that are actually innovating and improving technology.

Supertecnoboff · Jan 4, 2014

The UI of that app looks ****. But congrats to the developer.

BigBeast · Jan 4, 2014

MacRumors said:
[...] developer John Papandriopoulos was able to redesign how JPG images are compressed, allowing the iPhone to shoot full-quality burst mode photographs at significant higher frames per second than other competing technologies, including the new burst mode built into iOS 7.

It's developers like John Papandriopoulos that amaze me! Effectively an army of one, John redesigned how JPG images are compressed. Incredible! While the devs at Apple overlooked the possibility of more efficient JPG compression, John used his imagination and created something outstanding! You deserve the $millions you got for this John.

cRuNcHiE · Jan 4, 2014

I made a post about this on Monday here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1689860/

I've since been able to try out the app and actually, while it's impressive the speed it can take photos.
The actual resulting photos are not very good quality , more like very high ISO photos with lots of noise.

When I compared a burst photo from apples camera app with the exact same scene with this app, this app produced far more noise.

N64 · Jan 4, 2014

Supertecnoboff said:
The UI of that app looks ****. But congrats to the developer.

Exactly. I guess it's more about the technology. I'm looking forward to whatever new feature Apple will use this for.

----------

BigBeast said:
It's developers like John Papandriopoulos that amaze me! Effectively an army of one, John redesigned how JPG images are compressed. Incredible! While the devs at Apple overlooked the possibility of more efficient JPG compression, John used his imagination and created something outstanding! You deserve the $millions you got for this John.

Yeah. This guy is great. Glad to see an acquisition of someone's innovative new JPG compression than a cheap app with zero new technology and success based on luck/trend like Instagram.

fullauto · Jan 4, 2014

Well done John. It just goes to show - all you need is a good idea.. Be it a sole trader, have 100 or 1000 staff.

ThomasJL · Jan 4, 2014

Perhaps the real reason that Apple acquired SnappyLabs was to put in it charge of Safari development.

trigf · Jan 4, 2014

Does anyone else find that the current burst mode sucks? All my photos come out ghosted or blurry.

aaronvan · Jan 4, 2014

...has acquired SnappyLabs, a one-man app maker...

I doff my hat to you, Sir.

Nevaborn · Jan 4, 2014

I want advanced settings, hope we can get this sorted for the 6.

usarioclave · Jan 4, 2014

It's interesting that he went off and reimplemented JPEG. Someone I knew once said that most JPEG implementations suck, and apparently it's true.

If he could get that much speed on the same hardware, imagine how much faster everything else might turn out to be with a bit of hardcore optimization.

Klae17 · Jan 4, 2014

DrManhattan said:
Makes sense. Don't buy bloated overpriced developers that really don't do anything.

Buy the small developers that are actually innovating and improving technology.

They should have snapped up Instagram for $1 billion.

PollyK · Jan 4, 2014

Wow how innovative Apple. Nobody innovates like you.

N64 · Jan 4, 2014

ThomasJL said:
Perhaps the real reason that Apple acquired SnappyLabs was to put in it charge of Safari development.

He named it SnappyLabs because he knew Apple would go for it

ohbrilliance · Jan 4, 2014

fullauto said:
Well done John. It just goes to show - all you need is a good idea.. Be it a sole trader, have 100 or 1000 staff.

You need a lot more than just a good idea. What's impressive is the implementation of the idea. But you are right, one very talented programmer can produce something remarkable.

Jambalaya · Jan 4, 2014

Hats off to him, it's a great story.

I would image Apple have bought his company and hired him too ?

HiRez · Jan 4, 2014

Pretty deceptive images there, those were obviously shot with a full frame DSLR with in the case of the dog, a long lens and large aperture, and in the case of the baby, studio lighting. No way in hell you will ever get images like that out of a phone camera.

ohbrilliance · Jan 4, 2014

HiRez said:
and in the case of the baby, studio lighting.

Yes, because only DSLRs are allowed to use studio lighting

macs4nw · Jan 4, 2014

HiRez said:
Pretty deceptive images there, those were obviously shot with a full frame DSLR with in the case of the dog, a long lens and large aperture, and in the case of the baby, studio lighting. No way in hell you will ever get images like that out of a phone camera.

You read my mind, but at any rate, anything done to improve the iPhone's capabilities or PQ, is very welcome.

P&S cameras are all but irrelevant now.

anomie · Jan 4, 2014

cRuNcHiE said:
I made a post about this on Monday here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1689860/

I've since been able to try out the app and actually, while it's impressive the speed it can take photos.
The actual resulting photos are not very good quality , more like very high ISO photos with lots of noise.

When I compared a burst photo from apples camera app with the exact same scene with this app, this app produced far more noise.

Be assured that Apple has done the same test at least once.
For some reason they still bought that company.
I guess it was a good reason.

JAT · Jan 4, 2014

That picture of the dog requires about a $1200 DSLR body, similarly priced lens, if not twice that, and a photog that knows how to take it.

This app does not make that pic.

Apple Acquires SnappyLabs, Maker of SnappyCam Burst Photo App [Confirmed]

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