Hi, video star! Welcome the new video wave

Take a quick look at your Facebook feed, at your Instagram feed. Just in case you haven't noticed yet, still pictures are making way for video content. From ads to user-generated content like 360 degrees videos, to live videos, social networking is bitten by the video bug.

Says Gaurav Tikoo, Senior VP Marketing, Transsion India: "Smartphones are today the primary medium for self-expression -- and expressing your thoughts through video is the latest trend, transforming user-generated content." The company is using its flagship brand — Tecno Mobile — to ride the video wave. Earlier this month, it announced the launch of the Tecno Camon i, the first of its smartphones for 2018 touting superior video and photography performance.

Every time a brand comes along, that is bold enough to question the status quo, it ends up giving something new and innovative to users. In the case of the Camon series, it comes in the form of a video chat flash, a simple yet useful feature that lights up your video chats. Lighting during live video is something we've always struggled with and the Camon i finds a solution. For images, the device comes with a boosted dual selfie flash, which invokes the front LED flash and the screen flash at the same time. To round things off, the device incorporates a Night Shot algorithm to make pictures look brighter even in ultra low light conditions. The device comes with a 13MP + 13MP camera configuration, along with a 18:9 Full View HD+ Display.

Powered by a 1.3GHz Quad Core processor, with a 3050mAh battery, the Camon i is available in a 3GB memory — 32 GB storage configuration, packed within a 5.65-inch screen. Running on Android 7.0 Nougat, the device comes with a fingerprint sensor (which unlocks your phone, accepts calls and captures images), and its own OS called HiOS, which attempts to strike a balance between stock Android with some interesting add-ons. Available this week, the Camon i is priced at Rs 8,990.

Having invested in a video-friendly phone is not enough. You need the help of cool software tools that help you exploit the device for its moving imagery. We look at two such apps alongside, one for the serious minded, the other, more of a fun thing. Different strokes — video-wise!

I, too, have an opinion! Wishfie believes your opinion matters — so share it

When a smartphone brand dedicates an entire product line to enhance video performance, it is clear that the wide world out there is waiting for your opinion — anything from politics to sports to movies to fashion to that crazy ex! While social media is democratizing user opinion, experts believe that it has the power to give traditional news a run for its money. The logic is pretty simple. You trust peer reviews more than ads. A day will come when you trust a fellow human being on video rather than a news channel.

Interestingly, a Bangalore-based start-up, founded by an ex-Facebook executive, is creating waves in the user generated video space. An app called Wishfie allows you to initiate topics, contribute to them, and share them on your social channels. The latest version of the app allows you to post your opinions anonymously. Wishfie is one of the apps that do not mandate a 'real name policy', unlike a few popular social networks. Wishfie believes that everyone has a right to an opinion, and it is the opinion makers that are the true newsmakers.

It is one of the first social video companies from India that aims at providing a platform for everyone to share their opinions, ensuring that all can participate in shaping the world of tomorrow. Wishfie is available for Android and iOS, and all it requires is a phone with good video, maybe the Camon i?

You are the star! Roposo lets you get creative with stickers, voice-overs and music for your video.

Roposo — 'TV by the People' — is India's very own mini TV platform to share fun photos and videos by people from all over the country in a matter of seconds. With the free app, you can share videos and images using over 25 channels on the platform. You can use the Roposo app in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marathi and Bengali.

You can enhance and edit your videos with the help of filters, stickers and effects like slow-mo, time-lapse, portraits with natural light, studio light, contour light, stage and stage mono light. You can share interesting stand-up comedy videos and photos with funny greetings and wishes and make them go viral amongst a huge audience in India on Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat etc.

—IndiaTechOnline