While Sony started the selfie smartphone trend by adding a front-facing flash with its Xperia C, many have followed but few have been successful. And while Sony may have kick started the segment, they are not on the very top, but the recently announced Sony Xperia C5 Ultra may change all of that.
Indeed, we cannot wait till the Xperia C5 Ultra launches globally. So we have gone ahead, done our research and compiled a list of the five best selfie smartphones that you can buy today.
5. Nokia Lumia 730
At the bottom end we have the Nokia Lumia 730. While the sole purpose of this device is to click selfies, it does do a good job and produces sharp images.You can also shoot Full HD 30 fps videos using the front-facing unit, which is a rarity at this price tag. It does not come with a front-facing flash and includes a paltry 6.7 MP primary camera with an LED flash, that is pretty much in line with the Mi 4i.
4. Sony Xperia C4
While the original ‘selfie machine’ (Xperia C) is no more, the Sony Xperia C4 does a pretty credible job at keeping the Sony tradition alive. The C4 provides you with a capable front-facing 25mm wide angle 5 MP shooter with an LED flash and an equally good 13 MP primary camera. The focus is clearly on the front-facing unit and the Sony does a good job especially with Steady Shot now making an appearance on the front camera. What is impressive, are those built-in software gimmicks that users can utilize, while clicking selfies to tweak their images to perfection.
3. HTC Desire EYE
The HTC Desire EYE grabbed a lot of attention when it was announced all thanks to its large 13 MP sensor that sits not only on the back but also on the front. What accompanies this 13 MP sensor is also a dual-tone LED flash. So not only do you get great selfies, but you also get great selfies in any lighting condition whatsoever. Clearly the 13 MP unit on the back does not do any justice to the one on the front. Frankly speaking, HTC should have not even included it. And while the LED flash on the front is a plus point it is the implementation that seems to be the problem.
2. Samsung Galaxy S6/Galaxy S6 edge
While the Samsung Note 3 did produce Oscar worthy selfies, it was not all that great until Samsung decided to revamp its operations. Post this, we had a well made and well though off smartphone from Samsung called the Galaxy S6. It took Samsung two years to come up with something like this, but they sure did a great job on the imaging front (even though the sales expectations did not go too well). The 16 MP primary camera includes OIS and delivers great low-light shots, but the 5 MP sensor on the front with a f/1.9 aperture is equally impressive and even includes digital image stabilisation and real time HDR to make those selfies flawless.
1. LG G4
LG similar to Samsung has worked hard on the imaging capabilities of the G4. We were big fans of the LG G3, but it seems that LG’s extra efforts in building an extra special leather-clad device seems to have paid off. While we were impressed with the 16 MP primary module and its (three axis) OIS capabilities, the 8 MP front-facing unit simply blew us away. What it lacked however is the presence of the colour spectrum sensor on the front, which leads to white balance problems. Still then, the images it produces are nothing short of stunning, which makes for a great overall imaging package on a smartphone.