Sony has launched Xperia C3 smartphone with a 5MP front-facing camera paired with a flash.

Smartphone manufacturers are catering to the selfie craze by coming out with cameras with improved specs.. Sony is the latest manufacturer to join the selfie craze by launching a new smartphone, Xperia C3. The tech giant claims its new mid-range model is "the world's best selfie smartphone" with a wide-angle 5-megapixel front-facing camera and a soft LED flash.

Sony announced the new Xperia smartphone with advanced camera capabilities in an official press release, Tuesday. Sony has added  photo enhancing features for both front and rear cameras. The Xperia C3 includes Superior Auto, Timeshift-burst, Movie Creator, Social Live, Sweep Panorama, and also post-image editing features such as Portrait Retouch and Picture effects. Superior Auto allows users to choose from 36 camera modes ranging from HDR to backlit and more. Movie Creator allows editing and customizing of video shots and Timeshift-burst captures best images from 31 frames in two seconds. The Sweep Panorama allows users to snap panoramic wide-angle photos.

"The rise of selfies shows no signs of abating - its usage has increased by 17,000% since 2012 with the word officially being added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013," Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony, said in the press release. "We're excited to offer SONY's first 'PROselfie Smartphone' and play a part in this global phenomenon."

The front camera in the Xperia C3 can capture group photos seamlessly with a 25mm-wide angle along with a soft LED flash to match various lighting conditions. The selfie-centered C3 also features an impressive 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.

Other than camera, the C3 is powered by a Quad-Core Snapdragon processor clocking speeds at 1.2GHz with 1GB RAM. The smartphone boasts 5.5-inch display with a screen resolution of 1,280x720 pixels and supports high-speed 4G LTE data. The Xperia C3 will run Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box.

Sony will also offer the smartphone with dual-SIM support  limited to certain countries. Pricing details were not revealed but the handset will be available in white, black and a new mint color, starting in China next month. The release will be followed by other countries worldwide. Sony's Xperia C3 competes with other selfie-focused smartphones such as Huawei Ascend P7.