Taking selfies has become one of the most important social interactions in the past couple of years, so it came as no surprise to realize that Microsoft is working on a Windows Phone device that put much of its emphasis on taking selfies.
According to a recent report, Microsoft hardware chief, Stephen Elop, gave employees a sneak peak at the company's next devices at an internal meeting this week, one that will focus a lot on taking selfies. The handset is reported to have a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, which is more powerful that the 1.5-megapixel front-facing camera found on the iPhone 5S.
The device also comes packed with a 4.7-inch display, and that's basically everything we know of the handset so far.
Apart from the announcement of the "selfie phone," Elop showcased another handset called the Tesla. Elop claims the Tesla is an affordable high-end Windows Phone 8.1 device with a PureView camera on the back. It is not known if the camera will have the same amount of pixels as the Lumia 1020, or just the usual 20-megapixel camera.
Chances are, Microsoft will launch the Tesla as a replacement for the Lumia 720. The Lumia 720 was Nokia's effort at the time to push PureView at lower price points, and it appears to have worked. Now, it seems Microsoft is interested in keeping that trend going in hopes folks will begin to find great value in Windows Phone 8.1 devices.
We understand from The Verge that the Tesla will have a design similar to the Lumia 930, though it should be less bulky and thinner.
Microsoft is wise in making a push to enter the selfie market after Samsung launched the Galaxy K Zoom earlier in the year. Furthermore, Apple announced that it would add a selfie section in the App Store, proving that this is a market worth looking into.
In addition, Oxford Dictionary and Twitter named selfie as word of the year for 2013. This term is going nowhere, as even the American President, Barrack Obama, has taken to the selfie craze.
Whether or not this selfie focus smartphone will take off, will have a lot to do with how well Microsoft markets the device to teenagers and the general selfie-taking public.
