HTC’s Desire Eye shoots 13MP selfies from front-facing snapper

HTC’s Desire Eye (a definite selfie-related pun is lurking somewhere in that moniker) is the company’s latest handset, but unlike any other before it. Sporting a 13MP camera up front above the screen, it’s sole purpose in life is to take cute pictures of new haircuts and cheeky pouts.

Gone is the puny VGA resolution video calling cameras we’ve all grown accustomed to, and in is a sensor large enough to keep a moderately annoying Instagram user entertained for hours.

It’s seemingly the largest sensor we’ve seen on a front-facing camera to date, and it’s physically enormous too. Interestingly, it’s not quite a “camera phone” as we understand it today either. The rear 13MP camera is dwarfed by the Samsung Galaxy K-Zoom’s 21MP optical zoom unit, for instance, and features no optical zoom itself.

But HTC does bundle the Eye with it’s “HTC Eye Experience” software with “Face Tracking, Screen Share, Split Capture, Face Fusion, Live Makeup, Auto Selfie, Photo Booth, Crop Me In” settings. And no, for those thinking the camera will improve video calling quality — it probably won’t. Most video calling services (Skype, for one) can’t push anything above 1080p, a resolution a 2MP sensor can easily conquer.

Other than the massive lens staring at you while replying to emails, there’s the rather gorgeous matter of the 1080p, 5.2″ screen beneath, a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 under the skin alongside 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, and a modest 2400mAh battery, which should survive a few blasts from the LED flashes at both the front and rear snappers. Regardless, it’s a great looking phone.

So selfies are clearly a priority, but why would anyone who doesn’t enjoy the art of self-promotion purchase this device?

Likely setting users back the same wad of cash that could fetch an equally capable HTC One M8, the Desire Eye is a niche product that may only appeal to the naive and narcissistic. But life would be pretty boring without these over-the-top devices, wouldn’t it?

No pricing or date-of-release information is currently available.