Apple has reportedly acquired Israel-based camera technology company LinX, CNBC reported. The deal was estimated at $20 million.
LinX is known for building "miniature multi-aperture cameras designed for mobile devices," indicated the purchase is aimed at improving the iPhone cameras, the Business Insider speculated.
The Israeli company also builds such cameras for tablets and ultra-books, so it is likely the technology will also be implanted in the iPad and Mac Books.
"LinX cameras are significantly smaller than any camera on the market today, leading the way to DSLR performance in slim handsets," the company said on its website in a refrence to reflex camera.
"The LinX cameras not only capture 2D images but also acquire very accurate depth information of the complete scene."
Last year Apple bought Israel-based PrimeSense Ltd, a developer of chips that enable three-dimensional machine vision in a move that signaled gesture-controlled technologies in new devices from the maker of iPhones and iPads.
An Apple spokesman confirmed the purchase but declined to say how much it spent or what the technology will be used for. Israeli media said Apple paid about $350 million for PrimeSense, whose technology powers the gesture control in Microsoft Corp's Xbox Kinect gaming system.