'We should all take selfies': Chinese smartphone maker Meitu unveils new M4 selfie phone
Chinese smartphone maker Meitu has launched its latest handset boasting strong photo-enhancing capabilities, targeting female selfie lovers with a penchant for the opposite of candid shots.
Chinese smartphone maker Meitu has launched its latest handset boasting strong photo-enhancing capabilities, targeting female selfie lovers with a penchant for the opposite of candid shots.
The third-generation device - dubbed M4 - comes a year after the launch of the Meitu M2. The two phones look almost the same, but company executives said the latest offering takes better selfies, especially in low-light condition.
“We have done some studies on selfie habits, and we found that 70 per cent of women take selfies, and only 15 per cent of them are willing to do it without any make-up,” said Wu Xinhong, the company’s chief executive, at the launch in Beijing.
“It’s not only about embellishing your photos and showing them to others. The point is that the more you take beautiful selfies, the more confident you will become,” he said.
“We should all take selfies.”
The new phone has a 4.7-inch 720p screen and 13 megapixel Sony cameras on the front and rear, coupled with a Fujitsu Milbeaut image processor and 2GB RAM. It also has a 2,160 mAh battery which is not removable. It boasts a MediaTek octa-core 1.7Ghz processor and 32GB of internal storage.
The M4 comes in three colours - pink, white and mint green – and is priced at 2,199 yuan. It will be available via the company's website and in Suning outlets on Friday.
A “Hello Kitty” special edition is priced at 2,499 yuan.
On paper, the phone’s specifications will not stand out when put side-by-side to its domestic rivals including Xiaomi’s Mi Note, but the firm is not targeting users who obsess over RAM or processor speed, said Kinson Loo, president of the company’s handset arm Meitu Mobile.
"We made this product mainly for women who like to take selfies. They make up a big majority of our customers," Loo said.
“Your skin will come off very smooth and tight using our phone. We have also put a lot of effort in making selfies look as good in low light as in wide daylight."
Also unveiled in the launch were a photo-taking app MakeUpPlus, an update of the company's MeiOS operating system, a remote control for selfies, and a fill light device which can compensate for low light (or blow out a photo to hide blemishes and imperfections on a user's skin).
Legendary angel investor Cai Wensheng, chairman of Meitu, said the company’s many photo-centred apps had been downloaded by 980 million users on 680 million mobile devices.
“These figures mean that we hold about 85 per cent of the market in China,” he said.
