Sebastiaan de With, co‑founder of Lux and the lead designer behind camera apps such as Halide, Kino and Orion, announced today that he is joining Apple’s design team. The move was shared publicly by de With in a brief post expressing enthusiasm about working “with the very best team in the world” on Apple products. Lux co‑founder Ben Sandofsky simultaneously reassured users that Halide will continue development, noting a positive reception to the new Halide Mark III public preview. Neither de With nor Apple provided an immediate response to requests for comment; an update on January 28 adds a fuller statement from Sandofsky.
Key takeaways
- Sebastiaan de With, co‑founder of Lux, announced today he is joining Apple’s design team; he is known for Halide, Kino and Orion.
- Lux released a public preview of Halide Mark III the same day; Ben Sandofsky reported the reception as “more positive than we possibly could have hoped.”
- De With has a history of in‑depth technical analysis of iPhone cameras and wrote widely read reviews of recent iPhone camera systems.
- Sandofsky stated that Halide will continue as an active product and team priority despite de With’s move to Apple.
- De With’s biography lists prior design work for Apple on iCloud/MobileMe and the Find My apps, indicating previous collaboration with Apple.
- Apple and de With did not immediately answer media requests; the story was updated January 28 with additional comments from Sandofsky.
Background
Lux, the company co‑founded by Sebastiaan de With and Ben Sandofsky, has built a reputation for camera and imaging apps that emphasize manual controls and pro features. Halide, their flagship camera app, is widely used by photographers who want fine‑grained access to exposure, focus and RAW capture; Kino provides pro‑level video capture tools and Orion is known for its browser and privacy‑focused design choices.
Apple has a long history of recruiting designers and engineers from the iOS developer community and related industries to deepen in‑house expertise. Camera performance and imaging software are strategic areas for Apple, which integrates hardware, firmware and software tightly across iPhone generations. Developers who have deep domain knowledge of Apple’s platforms — particularly in photography — are often tapped to help shape future system‑level features.
Main event
De With announced on his public channel that he is joining Apple’s design team and described the opportunity as a chance to work on products he admires. In his post he wrote he was “so excited to work with the very best team in the world on my favorite products,” signaling enthusiasm about returning to a company he has collaborated with before.
On the same day Lux published the public preview of Halide Mark III. Lux co‑founder Ben Sandofsky posted on Reddit and elsewhere that the Mark III preview received a very positive response, and he emphasized that Halide will remain an active and supported product despite de With’s move. Sandofsky noted a close collaboration with external partners on Mark III, including The Iconfactory and colorist Cullen Kelly.
De With’s professional history includes prior design work for Apple on services such as iCloud/MobileMe and the Find My apps, according to his own site. That previous collaboration suggests familiarity with Apple’s design processes and platforms, which may have contributed to Apple’s interest.
Neither Apple nor de With immediately provided additional details about his role, title, or start date when asked. The Verge’s coverage was updated on January 28 to include Sandofsky’s statement, which reiterated Halide’s continued development and the team’s optimism about the product’s future.
Analysis & implications
Apple’s hire of a high‑profile indie app designer underscores the company’s ongoing focus on imaging and user experience. De With’s deep technical knowledge of iPhone cameras could feed directly into how Apple evolves computational photography, camera UI, and pro features in future iPhone models. For users, this could mean tighter integration of advanced controls and system features with Apple’s stock camera app.
For Lux and Halide, the hire presents both opportunities and risks. Sandofsky’s public reassurances aim to limit user concern about continuity, but the departure of a co‑founder to Apple could shift internal responsibilities and timelines. The team’s announcement of partnerships on Mark III — with The Iconfactory and Cullen Kelly — appears designed to demonstrate capacity and continuity in design and color work.
On a broader level, Apple’s recruitment strategy often centers on acquiring expertise rather than simply absorbing products. If de With’s role focuses on design systems or camera UX, the near‑term effect might be incremental improvements to Apple’s imaging interfaces rather than wholesale changes. Regulatory or contractual limitations (such as non‑competes or IP boundaries) could constrain how quickly ideas originating at Lux are reflected in Apple software; those details remain unconfirmed.
Comparison & data
| App / Entity | Primary focus | Notable contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Halide (Lux) | Manual camera controls, RAW capture | Process Zero mode, pro features for photographers |
| Kino (Lux) | Professional video capture | Advanced capture tools for filmmakers |
| Apple Camera app | System camera experience, computational photography | Tightly integrated hardware‑software features |
The table highlights complementary strengths: Lux apps prioritize pro controls and specialized workflows, while Apple’s Camera app focuses on system‑level integration and broad accessibility. Those complementary strengths help explain why Apple might seek to bring a designer with de With’s profile into its team.
Reactions & quotes
“So excited to work with the very best team in the world on my favorite products.”
Sebastiaan de With (announcement)
“I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of Lux and Halide,”
Ben Sandofsky (Lux co‑founder, Reddit statement)
“So in short, Halide is going nowhere.”
Ben Sandofsky (Lux co‑founder, Reddit statement)
Unconfirmed
- De With’s exact role, title and start date at Apple have not been confirmed publicly.
- Any contractual terms, non‑compete clauses or limitations on de With’s work related to Lux are not publicly known.
- Specific product plans at Apple that will make use of de With’s expertise have not been disclosed.
Bottom line
Sebastiaan de With joining Apple’s design team is a notable example of Apple recruiting domain specialists from the independent app ecosystem. His background designing camera‑centric apps and writing technical analyses of iPhone cameras aligns closely with areas Apple has prioritized in recent hardware cycles.
Lux and Halide appear to be planning for continuity: Lux launched the Halide Mark III public preview and its co‑founder publicly emphasized the company’s optimism. Observers should watch for product updates to Halide Mark III, public job postings at Lux, and any Apple announcements that signal deeper changes to camera features or developer APIs.
Sources
- The Verge (news) — original news report summarizing the announcement and including Sandofsky’s statement; updated January 28.
- Sebastiaan de With (official) — personal site listing past design work including iCloud/MobileMe and Find My (official).
- Halide / Lux (official) — product pages and announcement materials for Halide and Mark III (official).