Launching its CSX crowdsourced “Hawkeye” smartphone as a mid-range model was a mistake, says ZTE executive Jeff Yee. In a post about the situation, Yee responded to the phone only raising $35,000 of its $500,000 goal so far on Kickstarter.
He says the company recognizes it was a mistake to introduce the CSX features on a mid-range device. Consumers would likely be more interested in a flagship device. ZTE wanted to use lower-tier specs so that the Hawkeye could “reach masses around the world” with its more affordable price point.
Now the company is in a tricky spot. It can improve the specs, but it must also give the phone to existing backers for the current $199 price.
Since the idea for the phone came from the crowd and it’s being crowdfunded, ZTE is turning to the crowd for ideas about how to move forward. People can suggest spec changes and other ideas here.
