Apple to buy Kinect sensor maker PrimeSense for $345 million

Hardware manufacturer Apple has acquired PrimeSense for $345 million, according to an Israeli newspaper. PrimeSense developed the sensor for the Xbox 360 Kinect. Apple would like to apply the sensor technology in its products.

According to Israeli newspaper Calcalist has bought Apple the company after it made a $280 million bid for PrimeSense in July. Both parties do not want to confirm the acquisition; a PrimeSense spokesperson would only have said that the company will continue to focus its sensor technology on 3D recognition and ‘natural’ interaction possibilities for both living room and mobile applications.

With the acquisition, Apple gets its hands on improved sensor technology from PrimeSense. For example, the Israeli company was able to reduce the size of the sensors. This would make it easier to incorporate the technology in, for example, a new iPad or iPhone, although there are also rumors that Apple wants to use the sensor hardware mainly in its possible future televisions.

PrimeSense is responsible for the sensor technology in the first Kinect iteration for the Xbox 360. However, the software giant never took over the company; for the Xbox One, Microsoft itself has developed the new Kinect sensor.