Sony-Xperia-C3-700x325.jpg

HTC’s One M8 started the selfie camera movement with its 5MP HD camera that takes incredible up-close photos of smartphone owners and others with whom they share special moments.

“Selfies” and “groufies” (selfies of groups, for those who’re wondering) have become commonplace words in the English language, words that were relatively unknown just a few years ago, and the rear-facing camera, once the main attraction, has been forced to make room for the power of the front-facing camera. This isn’t a bad thing; after all, why have a front-facing camera if smartphone manufacturers care little about revolutionizing the front camera experience?

Sony’s back to challenge HTC with its 5-megapixel front camera for selfies. The Japanese manufacturer just unveiled its Xperia C3 smartphone in Taiwan (HTC’s home country) yesterday. Interestingly, Sony didn’t manufacture an Xperia C2, and C3 will forever be known as “the ultimate selfie smartphone,” providing a 5MP front camera and an 8MP back camera for smartphone users. The Xperia C3 features a 5.5-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) that features an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The C3 is powered by a 1.2Ghz, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (Adreno 305 GPU) with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory storage with a microSD card slot for an additional 32GB of memory storage.

The Xperia C3’s battery life runs at 2,500mAh, which, when coupled with the 720p screen resolution, should provide sufficient battery life for most consumers. As an added bonus, Sony looks to appeal to dual-SIM phone shoppers with dual-SIM capabilities in the new ultimate selfie smartphone. With the Xperia C3 aimed at consumer photographers, the C3 comes with 1080p video recording, a 16X digital zoom, and Superior Auto Mode with automatic scene selection. The Xperia C3 will run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box.

See Also: Sony Xperia Z3 leaked pictures show Android 4.4.4 with Full HD screen

Sony will sell the Xperia C3 in black, white, and mint colors (yes, a green mint color) starting in August 2014 but we don’t yet have a price for the device. With Sony’s excellent photography, the Xperia C3 will surely please the selfie (or non-selfie) photographer.

Are you excited about the Xperia C3? Do you intend to purchase the C3 when it becomes available, or has your attention been swept away by the Xperia Z3 and the Z3 Compact?