Last month we heard that ZTE were considering cancelling their Kickstarter campaign for their ZTE Hawkeye smartphone.
The company has now confirmed that the campaign has been cancelled, which should hardly come as a surprise considering this has been on the cards since last month.
Background of the ZTE Hawkeye Project
The ZTE Hawkeye was an ambitious project under ZTE’s Project CSX initiative, which aimed to crowdsource ideas for innovative smartphone features directly from consumers. The winning idea was a smartphone with eye-tracking capabilities and a self-adhesive back, allowing users to stick the phone to various surfaces and control it hands-free. This concept generated significant buzz initially, but as the campaign progressed, it faced numerous challenges.
Project CSX has always been about going against the norm and trying something different. But above all, it’s been about listening to you, the consumer. Based on the feedback we’ve received on both Kickstarter and our own Z-Community forum, we’ve decided to phase out this campaign; however, this doesn’t mean the project is over. We are reevaluating the device for the winning Project CSX idea – an eye-tracking feature with self adhesive backing – and it will be implemented based on your feedback.
Challenges and Consumer Feedback
One of the primary challenges faced by the ZTE Hawkeye project was the gap between consumer expectations and the actual specifications of the device. Many backers were excited about the innovative features but were disappointed when the initial specifications did not match up to the high-end standards they anticipated. For instance, the proposed hardware did not include the latest processors or high-resolution displays that many tech enthusiasts expect in a modern smartphone.
Moreover, the eye-tracking technology, while intriguing, raised concerns about its practicality and effectiveness in everyday use. Consumers questioned how well the feature would work in different lighting conditions and whether it would be responsive enough to justify its inclusion. The self-adhesive backing, although a novel idea, also faced skepticism regarding its durability and the potential for it to lose stickiness over time.
Future Prospects and Refunds
Despite the cancellation of the Kickstarter campaign, ZTE has emphasized that the project is not entirely dead. The company is taking the feedback seriously and plans to reevaluate the device’s design and features. This reevaluation process will involve a closer look at the eye-tracking technology and the self-adhesive backing to ensure they meet consumer expectations and practical usability standards.
The company will now refund all of the backers, ensuring that those who supported the project financially are not left out of pocket. This move is likely to maintain goodwill among the community and keep the door open for future projects under the Project CSX initiative.
For those interested in following the developments of the ZTE Hawkeye and other innovative projects from ZTE, more information can be found over at Kickstarter at the link below.
Source Kickstarter
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