New APIs in iOS 7 Allow Developers to Detect Blinking and Smiling in Photos

In addition to a complete redesign and a slew of new features, Apple's iOS 7 offers a number of APIs for developers, including several camera improvements like zoom capabilities for video.

According to 9to5Mac, iOS 7 beta 2, which debuted yesterday, added a new function that allows developers to access image detectors to locate facial expressions within photos.

While face recognition was originally introduced with iOS 5, the new APIs can detect distinct expressions like smiles and blinking, functionality that is found in several basic point-and-shoot cameras.

newapis
Since the iPhone's debut, Apple has worked hard to improve both the camera hardware and software of its devices, so it is no surprise that iOS 7 will offer multiple camera enhancements for developers. Each iteration of iOS has included new features, such as the volume shutter controls that debuted with iOS 5 and the panorama capabilities added with iOS 6.

Apple's camera expansion efforts have largely paid off, with the iPhone 4, 4S, and 5 ranked as the three most popular cameras on photo sharing site Flickr. The iPhone's camera was also the highlight of a recent Apple advertising campaign.

Along with software improvements in iOS 7, Apple's next generation iPhone is also expected to feature several photo-focused enhancements. The iPhone 5S is rumored to have a higher megapixel camera and a dual LED flash that was revealed in device photos earlier this week.

Related Forum: iOS 7

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Coming Next Week: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Thursday September 4, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
We're only days away from Apple's "Awe dropping" fall event scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for...

Top Rated Comments

pmau Avatar
159 months ago
WarpCore API

*/
CF_EXPORT
CFWarpDriveRef CFWarpDriveCreate(CFSpaceTimeRef dimension, const void **darkness, const void **eternity, CFIndex numHops, const CFWarpCallBacks *warpCallBacks, const CFSpeedCallBacks *speedCallBacks);

Look, I found a new Warp Drive API in CoreFoundation, near WarpCore.
You can create a EWarpDrive instance, define the dimension, darkness and eternity parameters and the number of hops you want to travel.

Each hop will cause a warpCallback into your App and the speedCallbacks let you place pins on the new 3D galaxy map API.

Use carefully.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Frisco Avatar
159 months ago
I don't know how I lived my 50 years of life without this technology. It makes my 50 years seem meaningless.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lotzosushi Avatar
159 months ago
Well as long as they don't pull an S4 gimmick and market eye-tracking as a huge feature. Cause it's not.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbrinkma Avatar
159 months ago
The code says something about a minimum OS X requirement. More artificial limitations? "The older iMac cannot provide the processing power required for blink detection." ;)

Yep. God forbid they add a new feature to new versions of their OSs without backporting them all to the older versions. :rolleyes:

I suppose you want them to backport Grand Central Dispatch and Intel processor support all the way back to Puma, too?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xcodeaddict Avatar
159 months ago
Are you saying that the HTC implementation of this sucked? Is this based on personal experience on your part?

Or are you saying the Apple version is Gods gift to photography? Again, based on your usage?

You or I don't have a CLUE what Apple's version is like... but I guess a fanboi is a fanboi and it does not matter whether it REALLY is good, if it says Apple it MUST be good.
It's simple - Apple's implementations of things may take longer, but are generally FAR better, and that's not something I wish to debate really - it's obvious by mere observation and common sense.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Stack Overflow Avatar
159 months ago
The code says something about a minimum OS X requirement. More artificial limitations? "The older iMac cannot provide the processing power required for blink detection." ;)
It's not limiting it based on the hardware, it's limiting it based on the APIs the version of OS X contains. Only 10.9 has this (according to the code snippet).

You can't use a software feature that isn't contained in the software in question.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)