<div>It’s difficult to say whether smartphones are perpetuating the addiction for selfies or whether sheer narcissism is forcing cellphone manufacturers to come up with selfie-oriented devices. Either way, taking pictures of yourself on an everyday basis, if not several times a day, has become the new normal. And Micromax has decided to milk the phenomenon for all it’s worth with a phone, the Canvas Selfie, that has a 13 megapixel shooter on both front and rear.<br /><br />Of course, raw megapixels don’t necessarily mean you’ll get a good image, so Micromax has played with things enough to make sure the cameras really boost light and reduce noise. Inevitably, there’s some softness in images shot in low light, but the artificial boosting of brightness will make selfie addicts more than happy. I rather doubt that the targeted audience will be overly fussy about top notch photography or want to bother with settings. So, the camera application is simple and entirely selfie-oriented. There are buttons for making the eyes wider, face slimmer, skin smoother, complexion whiter, and even the teeth get a makeover. Basically, it’s truth, lies and selfies.<br /><br />The Canvas Selfie has a dedicated camera button on one side, but it doesn’t launch the camera from a phone that’s asleep or even on the lock screen. You have to be on one of the homescreens or one of the apps. There’s a self-timer so the user can quickly get into a pouting pose or stick close to whoever’s close and look inseparable.<br /><br />The Canvas Selfie has a strange design. Not the usual rectangle but pronounced curves top and bottom. You could either find it stylish or strange, depending on your taste. There’s a faux leather back – it really looks like plastic leather, if there’s such a thing. It’s a light phone and quite slim and easy to hold. The screen is just 4.7 inches, so it doesn’t get into the awkwardly big category at all.<br /><br />The specs on this phone are mid-range. The screen is a 720x1280 with 312 pixel density. It’s a good looking screen and comfortable to use. There’s a 1.7GHz octa-core Mediatek processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. You do have a micro SD slot and two SIMS. The phone is running on Android 4.4.2, a bit behind the current common version. The battery is a 2300mAh and adequate for this device. It isn’t built for heavy gaming and although it performs well enough, it isn’t noticeably smooth and gets a shade heated up.<br /><br />The Canvas Selfie costs Rs.15,499 and anyone considering it must take a look at a number of other options from HTC, Xiaomi, Asus and indeed from Micromax itself. But the Selfie phone is the one to pick if one is looking for a budget phone with a camera good enough to work indoors and entirely meant for fun with one’s own photos.</div>
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
