Not too long ago, we reported about Sony’s new curved sensor that promises much improved image quality with smaller and less complex lens designs. Back then, the company said it was ready to put the new sensor into actual cameras soon, which is something that rarely happens so quickly when a new technology is announced.
Now Sony has officially unveiled the first product allegedly sporting the new sensor – and it’s a selfie camera that looks like a perfume bottle. No, we’re not kidding you. This apparently “lady friendly” selfie camera looks like a Sony Xperia S smartphone with the cap of an expensive perfume bottle glued onto its top. The perfume bottle cap does not seem to be removable, but rather to contain the lens which can apparently be rotated by 180 degrees.
The strange object bearing the designation KW1 was just announced in China, after being heavily leaked in the past couple of days. As for the specs, we know relatively little because the Chinese product page doesn’t reveal much. What we know is that the sensor boasts 19.2 megapixels, the screen is a 3.3″ OLED panel, the lens is a 21mm-equivalent f2.0 optic, and the camera sports WiFi and NFC and records Full HD video.
But what on Earth was Sony thinking when they designed this camera? Engadget reports that there’s a local trend in China of adorning one’s smartphone with a Chanel perfume bottle case. In addition to that, there seems to be a much greater demand for “lady friendly” tech products on Asian markets as compared to Europe or the USA.
Whether or not the device will make it to overseas remains to be seen. In China, the retail price of the KW1 is 5,199RMB, which is approximately $845 USD. We’re not entirely sure that that’s a reasonable sum to ask for a “gadget” like this – but then again, it’s currently the only digital camera shaped like a perfume bottle.
