We’re only a few weeks out from IFA, but if you were hoping for a preview of this year’s most eccentric devices, Chinese company Huawei has you covered. This is our very first peek at the new Honor 7i, where a flippable, selfie-ready camera takes center stage. Or the world’s fanciest high tech phone projectile. You decide.
Beneath the swivel camera’s wide-angle, sapphire-protected lens is a 13-megapixel sensor with a 28mm wide-angle sapphire crystal lens and f/2.0 aperture. The same pivoting module also features a dual-tone LED flash, ready to go the instant you feel compelled to capture the spontaneity of your selfie-rich life. It’s intriguing, and certainly weird enough to grab our attention, but let’s not forget that the swivel camera concept has been tried before with limited success. More unique even than its twirly parts is a fingerprint reader that doubles as a camera button on the phone’s left side. Just touch it to take a selfie.
Now, this may look like the perfect storm of moving parts, but Huawei claims the hinge is sturdy enough to hold for even the most zealous of selfie-takers. According to the company, the mechanism can take at least two years of use, even if you flip it around for 136 selfies a day. And if you’re not yet convinced, just have a look at this incredible video. Apparently, the combined force of three smiling ladies isn’t powerful enough to snap that little sucker off.
Otherwise, the Honor 7i seems to be a relatively mid-range Android, featuring a 5.2-inch, 1080p screen that’s powered by a octa-core Snapdragon 616 processor, and offering a choice between 2GB of RAM plus 16GB of storage or 3GB of RAM with 32GB storage. It does have an aluminum chassis rather than a totally plastic one, though.
The phone’s available right now in China, with prices starting around $250 USD. No word yet on global availability, so hang on to those reachie sticks for now.
[Huawei via Gizmodo Espanol]