美图：自拍的幻想（常速朗读版）

原文
Selfie Delusion: Meitu

Could an obscure hardware firm peddling a beautification app for selfies become China’s next tech titan? That is the boast made by Meitu, which will float its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange today. Boosters argue the firm’s pivot to software and social networking could make it the Instagram or Snapchat of China. Its co-founder likens the firms to Tencent, a Chinese gaming and social networking giant with a market value of some $200bn. Meitu’s selfie app is certainly popular, but the firm makes little money from its software offerings: almost all its revenue comes from selling low-end smartphones, a commoditized and increasingly profitless niche.