How the market is responding to the ‘selfie’ social epidemic

One concept that works wonderfully well for selfie-lovers is the rotating camera, that gives you the same optics and sensor on both sides. While the rotating camera is generally identified with the Oppo N1 and Oppo N1 Mini, we must not forget that Nokia had introduced a clicker that could rotate as far back as 2005. Despite the practicality of rotating cameras, there are less than a handful of models that sport the function.

The real no-brainer idea would be to have both cameras to have the same specifications. Easy, but expensive. However, Taiwanese smartphone-maker HTC has bitten the bullet and announced its new HTC Desire Eye with 13MP cameras on both sides. It is not just the camera that is made for selfies. In fact, the EYE software comes with features like a split-camera that clicks pictures with both cameras simultaneously; there is even a weird crop option that superimposes a selfie on what is being shot with the rear camera. But HTC stopped short of announcing the price and we will have to wait to see how much this new experiment will cost. But it has all the signs of something that might work, despite the price. After all, it has two great cameras.

There is another stream to the selfie craze and it does not involve smartphone. And that stream is led by the GoPro action cameras that enjoy a cult status in many countries across the globe. While the GoPro is a great camera and can be taken anywhere, underwater or into outer space, the more popular accessories for this camera are those that let you take great selfies and videos. My personal favourite is a swivel helmet camera that keeps turning and shooting you from various angles. At the end of a 10-minute bike ride, you will have footage that will make you feel like you climbed Mount Everest.

But GoPro can be an expensive hobby, especially since you will be end up paying much more than the camera in just acquiring the accessories. And it is not available without high shipping charges in many countries like India. Many companies are seeing value in developing action cameras that are more affordable and easier to operate. At the IFA tech show in Berlin, I spotted at least half a dozen action cameras from companies as diverse as Sony and Toshiba. They will also start flooding the market soon.

But the first of these to hit Indian store shelves will be the new HTC RE, as early as end of October. It looks like an inhaler, maybe even a smoking pipe. But it does not look like a camera. RE is designed primarily to be held in the hand hence the pipe-like body should give an ideal grip. It is also about uncomplicating the camera like never before. There is no question of focus as all you need to do is point and shoot. It comes with a slow motion option and a time lapse function that needs a smartphone app to trigger.

But where the RE is different from GoPro is that this camera has been thought of around a mobile, so it comes with cloud storage and will soon offer live streaming to YouTube. For families and those who are not all that action heavy, the RE will offer a great selfie camera with the widest angles in town, even underwater. HTC thinks of this as a new camera category, one that will be good enough for people to spend $199 on. I can’t predict whether the RE will be a success or not, but it sure shows how the selfie is triggering innovation across the world. And trust me this is just the beginning.