ZTE Abandoning Project Hawkeye Due To Crowdfunding Problems? Mid-Range Specs Could Be The Culprit

Less than two weeks ago, ZTE announced the specs for its first crowdsourced smartphone, the Hawkeye. Today, there are rumors that the company could be abandoning the project in the wake of scathing criticisms from backers.

When ZTE introduced the Hawkeye, the company stated that the device will come with a self-adhesive case and an advanced eye-tracking technology. The smartphone was also revealed to sport a 5.5-inch full HD display with 1080p resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory and a 3,000 mAh battery. ZTE also mentioned a dual-camera setup similar to that of Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus, a fingerprint scanner and Hi-Fi Audio, among others.

The specifications of the Hawkeye were based on the suggestions consumers made through polls when Project Crowd Source X (CSX) was launched in 2016. ZTE even had to delay the announcement of the specs, for it took a lot of time to collate the suggestions and feedback from consumers.

Unfortunately, though the Hawkeye campaign was off to a good start, it lost its momentum quickly when backers started to question the project. On its Kickstarter page, many backers have voiced out their disappointment over the specs of the phone. Most are saying the same message that while they like the phone design, they are asking for a more high-end device.

ZTE has since acknowledged the concerns of the campaign’s backers. In response to the criticisms, the company launched a new poll to get the majority’s opinion on how the hardware specs for the project should be improved. Despite being receptive to backers, Geeky Gadgets believes that Project Hawkeye could be headed to a cancellation. The Kickstarter only has 19 days to go, and the amount that was pledged by backers is nowhere near the $500,000 goal. As of writing, the 190 backers of the project have pledged $36,056.

SlashGear claims that it is very unlikely to reach the goal of the Hawkeye’s campaign at this point. ZTE’s best option is to just abandon the project and launch a different Kickstarter for a higher-end smartphone — one that will certainly capture the interest of many backers. However, the high-end features are expected to come with a more expensive price tag. Hence, ZTE’s goal of launching an “affordable” crowdsourced phone will be scrapped.