Apple on Thursday confirmed acquiring the Israeli startup Q.ai, in what appeared to be part of the tech giant’s efforts to make inroads into the wearables market, with the aid of artificial intelligence.

The purchase cost Apple almost $2 billion, people familiar with the terms told the Financial Times. Industry press said it was the second-largest acquisition in the company’s history, after its purchase of the Beats music giant in 2014.

Q.ai is tight-lipped in public about its technology, but patents it filed show tech being used in headphones or glasses using “facial skin micro movements” for nonverbal communication, according to the FT.

Apple’s vice president of hardware, Johnny Srouji, said in a statement that the startup is “pioneering new and creative ways to use imaging and machine learning.”

The move may be a component of Apple’s strategy for “wearable” products,........

© The Times of Israel