Sony caters to selfie fans with Xperia C3

The latest manufacturer to join the selfie craze, Sony has equipped its new Xperia C3 smartphone with a 5MP front camera and editing tools dedicated specifically to touching up self-portraits.

Sony claims that this new mid-range model is 'the world's best selfie smartphone,' mainly thanks to its wide angle front camera with a 5MP sensor, a soft LED flash designed for use in any lighting conditions, and an auto mode. The Xperia C3 also comes with a photo editing app geared towards touching up portraits, allowing users to adjust light levels and even apply virtual makeup.

Regarding its other features, the C3 is a 4G-ready double-SIM smartphone that runs the latest version of Android (KitKat) and has a 5.5-inch screen (1,280x720 pixels). Powered by a quad-core Snapdragon processor at 1.2GHz, the device is also equipped with an 8MP back camera with autofocus.

The Sony Xperia C3 will be launched exclusively in China this August before being launched a few months later in the US And the UK. Pricing has yet to be announced.A better selfie cam: a new smartphone selling point

More and more smartphone makers are focusing on the selfie-taking performance of their products, namely by introducing front cameras of at least 5MP. This is the case of the HTC Desire 816, the Wiko Wax and the Huawei MediaPad X1, for example. Huawei even took the concept a step further by introducing the concept of 'groufies' (group selfies) when it launched the Ascend P7, which has an 8MP front camera.

For devices that have maintained a relatively low-resolution front camera, brands are highlighting new features designed to improve the quality of self-portraits. The LG G Pro 2, for example, has a special flash designed to illuminate the background and draw more attention to the person in the picture.

The Sony Xperia C3 boasts a 5MP front camera, making it suitable for taking selfies. Photo: AFP