ZTE Pulls the Plug on Hawkeye Phone Kickstarter Intiative

Last week, tech brand ZTE announced it was canceling its Project CSX (also known as Hawkeye) Kickstarter campaign after the project failed to attract more attention. The company was seeking $500,000 through the crowdfunding platform and only ended up securing $35,000 in a month and a half.

Hawkeye is described as an hands-free, eye tracking device. ZTE stated that the device’s name was chosen by consumers who can expect to be engaged in the next phases of this exciting project to select materials, colors and help contribute software for the phone.

“As a manufacturer with a long history of building quality mobile products, ZTE has taken the initiative to give consumers the reigns and decide what to build for 2017.  After a voting round which included consumers representing 176 countries around the world, the consensus was to develop a hands free experience for a mobile phone.”

In its recent update, ZTE revealed why it is deciding to cancel the Kickstarter campaign:

“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.”

In regards to what’s next for the project, ZTE added:

“Based on your feedback we have determined it is best to push back the date of the release in order to deliver a higher spec’d device. While we are still finalizing the new date, we will continue providing updates and collaborate with the community throughout the entire process. All of your support, perspectives and suggestions are what has driven Hawkeye so far, and for that we are grateful. We will continue to push the boundaries, think outside the box, and pave new paths to ultimately deliver a device that you want, all while continuing to listen and explore with you every step of the way.”