PremiumNew Delhi: Android phone makers have been cashing on the selfie craze among youngsters with pre-loaded camera options such as beauty mode, face filers, time lapse and Bothie.
Surprisingly, it isn’t another Android-based OEM that is canvassing for a new selfie feature called slofie — a new front camera feature on Apple’s latest line-up of iPhone 11 smartphones, which will be available in India starting 27 September.
Apple intends to keep the moniker within its own camp and has applied for a US trademark on Slofie, so that no other brand or developer can use it to sell their smartphone or camera apps.
Soon after the slofie feature was unveiled at the Apple special event on 10 September, memes on slofies started circulating on Twitter. Following the release of new iPhones in the US last week, social media has been buzzing with actual slofie moments by influencers and users. A #slofie search on Instagram already shows over 1000 posts.
However, not all users seem to be flipping over it. Bradley Allen from Pittsburg, shares a slofie shaking his head on Twitter and writes, “first slofie, or the dumbest thing Apple has ever come up with."
For users who still haven’t figured it out, slofie is Apple’s turn of phrase for slow motion short video captured using the iPhone’s front camera. It works on same principle as any slow motion video and first captures a video at high frame rate of 120 fps (frames per second) and then plays it back at a much slower frame rate to create a fun video. To make a slofie, users have to switch on the Slo-mo mode in front camera, tap on the record button, make quick head, hand or face movements and tap on the record button again.
There is enormous interest in Seflie cameras and fun modes revolving around them among users and Android OEMs have been cashing on this trend with their own unique offerings. Bothie (it takes photos from both front and rear cameras simultaneously) is unique to HMD Global’s Nokia smartphones. Oppo smartphones have options like double exposure (it combines two or more exposures to create a single ghost image) and time lapse (when played at normal speed, time appears to be moving faster) video option in front cameras.
Given the craze around seflies, Android OEMs can be expected to join the bandwagon soon with their own version of slow motion mode in selfie cameras.
