While HTC may have removed “UltraPixels” from the rear camera on the HTC One M9, they moved them to the front-facing camera. The One M9 has a 2″UltraPixel” front-facing camera that is supposed to perform much better in low-light for selfies. At least that’s what HTC claims. We put it up to the test against the iPhone 6 to see for ourselves.
It seems pretty obvious to us that the UltraPixels are destroying the iPhone 6. The photos from the One M9 look remarkably more clear and bright in the low-light conditions. Even in the bottom two photos, where the light isn’t so dim, the One M9 is outperforming the iPhone 6. If you’re looking to take selfies in all conditions this might be the phone for you.
ASUS had a new phone to flaunt at their Computex 2015 showing. Dubbed ZenFone Selfie, this mid-range darling takes its design cues from the ASUS ZenFone 2, but adds a 13 megapixel front-facing camera that has its own dedicated dual-tone flash. The lens is f/2.2 aperture and features a wide angle field of view to make sure you can fit you (and anyone else) into the shot with ease.
Beyond that, it’s pretty much a run of the mill smartphone, including a 5.5-inch 1080p display and Qualcomm’s octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 615 chipset (which is interesting considering they went all-in with Intel for the launch of the ZenFone 2).
Unfortunately we don’t get many details on the other specs. The company didn’t even bother to mention the rear camera, though we’re betting it’s at least as good as the front-facing variant. They also showed off the “Selfie Swing,” a detachable bumper that can help you extend the phone in front of you to get more in your shot.
It also seemingly doubles as a kickstand, a feature that isn’t on nearly enough smartphones in today’s age. You can see a GIF of the Selfie Swing attachment below, courtesy of Engadget.
No pricing and availability yet, but we don’t doubt ASUS we will tell us when they know for sure.
Sony has a new smartphone on the way for folks who think the selfie is too important to leave up to a subpar front-facing camera. It’s the Xperia C4, and the star of the show is a 5 megapixel 25mm wide-angle front sensor with its own dedicated flash. The rear camera also isn’t shabby for its standards at 13 megapixels.
Most of the value will come from Sony’s camera app which will include a number of unique shooting modes. Style Portraits, for instance, let you give your photos a sense of style based on some theme, such as vampires or mystery. There’s also AR Mask, a feature that allows you to take a selfie with someone else’s face in in the frame instead of your own. Not sure why someone would want to obscure their own face with a photo of someone else’s, but there you go.
Other specs for the Sony Xperia C4 include a 5.5-inch 1080p display, an octa-core 64-bit 1.7GHz MediaTek MTK6752 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage with microSD expansion and a 2,600mAh battery. For software you can expect Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, though not without Sony’s custom user interface sitting on top.
Pricing and exact availability have yet to be determined, though Sony did reveal that the device would be available in both single and dual SIM variants for a June 2015 launch.
If you thought Selfie Sticks were a symbol of pop culture degredation, I’ve got bad news. We’ve reached a new low. A company from Israel has launched a new IndieGogo campaign that takes the infamous Selfie Stick and replaces the handle with a handheld microphone. But it doesn’t stop there: the SoloCam app adds a teleprompter, green screen feature, and video effects to your creation, allowing you to announce how dumb you look to your followers in real-time.
Warning: watching this cringe-worthy video may cause your to face contort into positions so awkward, it may burn a hole in the brain’s of those around you. I can think of only two reasons that purchasing the SoloCam would be worthwhile:
As a gag gift for a news anchor friend
As a children’s gift for a little kid obsessed with news anchors
In the first case, it’ll likely collect dust and in the second case, you’ll be dooming your child into a dorkdom of bullying. You might as well have named them Dorkson Weebleton Bajeebles the 9th.
If you couldn’t tell, I’m not exactly a selfie stick sympathizer. I can appreciate that for the solo traveler or wilderness adventures it may be worthwhile stuffing one in your backpack. However, morphing that into a news anchor experience is an absurd and unnecessary proposition that very few people will find useful and all will find overtly amateur.
Would you take anyone seriously who used a SoloCam? Would you use one yourself? Should we shame an intern into using one for coverage on the CES show floor?
If you’re able to swallow your pride and want to buy one, head on over to the IndieGogo campaign where you can snag one for as low as .
This week marks the return of the classic #sprintsux meme. What did they do this time? We also talk about someone stealing copper cables from Verizon, the OnePlus 2 having a fingerprint sensor, the war on selfie sticks, Tindr for dogs, and much more! Thanks for watching/listening, and be sure to tune in for episode 100 next week!
