Take Selfies Remotely With New Smartphone Remote

Snap Remote.

Though 2014 may well have been the year of the selfie, taking one in the new year will be even easier, thanks to Snap Remote, a new $20 shutter camera phone remote control from Urban Outfitters.

First there was the selfie stick, which extended a photographer’s reach, making that ideally flattering downward-facing angle a cinch to achieve (see “Will Art Lovers Embrace the Selfie Stick?“). Then there was the selfie stand, with popular Japanese tourist destinations setting up convenient platforms to facilitate prime photo ops (see “Japan Installs Selfie Stands at Popular Photo Op Sites“). (The trend has since made its way to New York, kind of, with a special “selfie station” photo kiosk set up by the Downtown Alliance that allows you to email a free photo of yourself in front of One World Trade to all your friends.)

Now, this seemingly inevitable development takes it one step further, eliminating the need for a timer and allowing a photographer to snap multiple selfies without stepping in and out of the frame.

The small, two-button device interacts with a free app to access the smartphone’s shutter, and works up to nearly 10 feet away. Crucially, the remote also comes with a removable stand you can use to prop up the phone to set up that perfect shot, for those moments you aren’t overlooking a selfie stand–equipped Japanese vista. It’s compatible with iPhone 4, 4S, and 5; iPad 2, 3, and mini; and the iPod Touch.

Snap Remote. Photo: via Urban Outfitters.

Snap Remote. Photo: via Urban Outfitters.

For iPhone 6 users, there’s a similar device from Nifti that builds a Bluetooth remote shutter button directly into the phone case. Priced at $25.57 on Amazon, the remote slides neatly out of the back of the phone case, and can be used with any iOS device and most Androids (although the case obviously only fits on the iPhone6). Needing only 20 minutes to charge, the Nifti has two distinct advantages over Snap Remote: it can take photos from as far as 30 feet away away, and has no app required. Simply hold down the remote’s power button to link it to your Bluetooth-enabled photo-taking device, prop it up (fair warning, it doesn’t come with its own stand), and strike your best pose.


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