Lava Iris X5 'selfie phone' with 5MP front camera launched for Rs 8,799

Thanks to the selfie wave, front cameras no longer get the step-child treatment they used to. Just as their rear-camera counterparts, smartphone manufacturers are arming front cameras with larger sensors and better features, leaving little to distinguish the two except for their placement.   The latest smartphone to join the selfie bandwagon is the Lava Iris X5 smartphone, which boasts of a 5MP front camera. It uses a BSI+ sensor, which should help you get better low-light shots. Apart from the large sensor, it comes with an auto-focus and LED flash. Lava also claims the front camera has the ability to take wide-angle shots so you can add more people into your group self-shots.   The flashy front-camera aside, the Iris X5 is a 5-inch, dual-SIM smartphone with a 1280 x 720 resolution IPS display. It features an 8MP rear camera and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad core processor with 1GB of RAM. But considering the budget price, it is likely to be a MediaTek processor rather than a Qualcomm one. It runs on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and the device is fuelled by a 2100 mAh battery, which sounds great given the other specs.   Lava provides 8GB of internal storage, but you can expand it up to 32 GB with an external memory card. Lava claims that the Iris X5 has a dual mic that provides active noise cancellation for clearer phone calls.   If you enjoy taking self-shots or need a phone that doubles up as a mirror, the Lava Iris X5 could be a cheaper option over the Sony Xperia C3 . Like the Iris X5, the Xperia C3 features a 5MP front camera and includes a 25mm wide-angle lens that Sony claims delivers an 80-degree field of view. However, the Xperia C3 includes a larger 5.5-inch display, a faster 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and a larger 2500 mAH battery. The Xperia C3 also supports 4G LTE, which is lacking in the Iris X5. That said, the Sony Xperia C3 costs a pricey Rs 23,990, which is a lot more than the Lava Iris X5.