Apple to acquire tech giant for $2 billion

Apple made its second-largest acquisition in history in January 2026. After its legendary $3 billion purchase of Beats, it has now taken Israeli company Q.ai under its wing for $2 billion (some sources say between $1.6 billion and $2 billion). The startup, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze sound and facial movements, will be key to the future of Apple's wearables.

Photo: Apple

The acquisition of Q.ai represents a strategic milestone in Apple's race for dominance in artificial intelligence and hardware. The startup has developed revolutionary technology that uses machine learning to analyze micro-movements of facial skin. This allows devices to understand "silent speech" or whispers, which could eventually enable completely non-touch and inaudible communication with the digital assistant Siri.

Q.ai founder Aviad Maizels is already a familiar face to Apple, having founded PrimeSense, a company that Apple acquired to develop Face ID technology, years ago. This time, he is joining Apple's ranks with a whole team of experts who will be integrated directly into the hardware department. The company's patents point to use in next-generation AirPods and smart glasses, where users could give commands without speaking a word, which would drastically increase privacy and usability in noisy environments.

For Slovenian tech enthusiasts, this move is a clear signal that Apple is not only focusing on generative models (like ChatGPT), but also on the so-called “Edge AI” – artificial intelligence that runs directly on the device and changes the way humans interact with machines. Although there was speculation about the acquisition of larger players such as Anthropic, Apple has opted for specialized technology that will give it a unique advantage in developing innovations that the competition does not yet have in 2026. The first products with Q.ai technology could appear on shelves as early as the end of the year.