The selfie. A shameless phenomenon that we’re all supposed to be getting in on. Somehow, by redefining the humble self-portrait we’ve legitimised a heinous trend of vanity that’s allegedly rocketing in popularity.
But let’s be honest, this isn’t anything new. American photography pioneer Robert Cornelius ‘did a selfie’ in 1839. Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna sent a mirror selfie to her friend in 1914. I took one with my Game Boy Camera in 1998. Unlike twerking and hashtags, the selfie is old news.
But try telling Nokia that. The formally Finnish brand has just jumped aboard the fad-wagon with its first ‘selfie smartphone’ and a desire to give us the mug shots we deserve.
The Nokia Lumia 735 (it also comes in a dual-SIM Lumia 730 variety, with all other specs the same) is a handset that’s all about its 5MP front-facing camera. According to Microsoft the world has been suffering from sub-par selfies and – well – apparently that’s just not good enough.
Design
It’s obvious that the 735 has taken its design cues from the Nokia 800. However here the plasticky build feels a bit cheap, though not overly tacky, while it’s both lighter and thinner than its inspiration.
It also comes in a selection of typical Nokia colours: green, orange grey and black. The design certainly isn’t terrible, but it feels a lot less nice than the Lumia 830, which was also announced at IFA 2014.
Oddly, despite the camera being the 735’s USP, there’s no dedicated shutter button. In fact, the only physical buttons at all are the power button and volume rocker.
Features and camera
The 735 has a 720p display, while on the inside you’ll get a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage and a 2220mAh battery. But Windows Phone is not a demanding operating system, and the experience reflects that. There was some lag but it was very, very minimal.
On the back is a 6.7MP camera, and like the 830, the 735 also comes with the new Windows Phone update, Lumia Denim, which feels right at home on this handset with all of its snapper enhancements.
You also get the new selfie app, which lets you enhance your mug shots with some effects and enhancements. It even lets you use the rear camera, providing a countdown beeper to help you time your shot.
There are some welcome non-camera improvements with Denim too, including support for Live Folders on your homescreen.
Microsoft has announced that the 735 will sell for €219 but it hasn’t announced global prices yet. But assuming the price converts as you’d expect, you’re looking at a pretty solid, affordable phone.
The question is: does anyone really care that much about the quality of their selfies?
Early verdict
Microsoft’s not the only one with a ‘selfie phone’ now on the market, but this is a solid enough handset with a reasonable price.
It all depends on what you want out of your smartphone; if you’re not so face-focused, you’re probably better off coughing up a bit more for Microsoft’s other ‘affordable’ phone of IFA, the Lumia 830.
But camera aside, this is a decent blower for the price, and could attract the cool kids away from other affordable options.
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