A new study financed by Sony Mobile on Thursday details numerous futuristic applications of selfies. What started out as a friendly way to post your picture around to social media is very quickly turning into taking a picture for identification purposes. Sony Mobile’s study indicates that consumers are okay with using their selfie for a “vast number of potential applications.” Rather than digging for your driver’s license or a photo ID in your purse or wallet, you can whip out your smartphone and present your selfie. Selfies could also be used as a great password alternative, the study suggests. Front-facing mobile cameras have evolved a lot in recent years and some of them already feature 16-megapixel sensors that can capture a great selfie image.
Sony is one of many smartphone manufacturers that have recently increased the quality of their front-facing mobile cameras, making way for the future. Michio Maruhashi, Sony Mobile’s Marketing Strategist, said that “the project has given us a real sense of how selfies have evolved, and why they could be set to transform so many different sectors.” Sony has identified the top ten uses of selfies which apparently range from dating purposes to gym IDs and banking authorization. Another interesting application of selfies entails taking a 3D body image of yourself to see how you would look in a particular outfit. This technology could be even be used to measure you for proper clothing size. Another application for a selfie could be to allow you access to your automobile or even your house. Medical uses also figure into the equation – take a picture of a mole on your face and send it directly to a doctor for a diagnosis, then use your phone’s camera for a live video chat with a physician.
What was once a frivolous addition to a smartphone is turning out to be of some real substantive value. Part of Sony’s study took place in the UK where researchers discovered some interest facts. On average, people take 24 selfies a month and need at least five tries before they are happy with the results. While 75 percent of women take selfies, men also enjoy taking selfies to the tune of 65 percent and even take more selfies (26) per month than women (23) do. Of course, age also influences these results as 91 percent of people under 24 take selfies while only 50 percent of users over 55 do the same. When it comes to banking, almost 18 percent said they would feel safer if their bank used selfies as a form of ID. MasterCard has been working on its Pay With Selfie program since launching it back in early 2016.