Feb 18, 2017 12:25 PM EST By Khaleb Skye A. Cruz, UniversityHerald Reporter

It has been a bumpy start for ZTE's crowdsourced smartphone, the Hawkeye. Unfortunately, the ZTE Project CSX failed to impress its fans with its mediocre features. Eventually, the firm decided to cancel its Kickstarter campaign.

Nevertheless, the Chinese multinational tech company stressed that the ZTE Project CSX may not yet be over. Despite the cancellation, designers will reevaluate the device to produce a higher-end smartphone in the near future.

ZTE Project CSX &its Mid-tier Features

Last year, phone developers asked the community to submit their designs and feature ideas for the ZTE Project CSX. The firm later unveiled the Hawkeye, the winning piece, at CES 2017. Kickstarter reported that the handset's name came directly from the consumers. These people are expected to participate too in the next phase of the project such as picking colors and materials for the phone.

However, when the management of the ZTE Project CSX announced the specs of the Hawkeye, most people were disappointed by the mediocre hardware. It featured a rather small 5.5" display and 1080p resolution. The phone runs a Snapdragon 625 processor, 3GB RAM, and 32GB storage capacity.

On the other hand, Hawkeye's battery is average at 3,000mAh. Its 12MP to 13MP dual rear-facing camera setup compliments the neither good nor bad 8MP selfie cam. Still, the ZTE Project CSX received minimal support in funding. In particular, out of a $500,000 goal, it accumulated $36,000 only.

As a renowned mobile gadget manufacturer, the ZTE Project CSX wanted to give its fans the chance to decide what to build this year. For the record, the voting rounds included 176 countries worldwide. They unanimously chose an adhesive case and eye-tracking feature for the upcoming handset.

Hands-free Experience

Submitted by a team of four creative designers, Hawkeye boasts an experience that does not require the use of hands to navigate through common applications. The ZTE Project CSX works through a set of sensors to recognize eye movement. Read on to find out more.

According to Slash Gear, the ZTE Project CSX can scroll up and down or left and right via eye movement. Meanwhile, to navigate between pages without touching the screen, voice command is the secret. Moreover, an adhesive case allows users to stick the phone to any vertical surface.

Basically, the people wanted a device functional when one or both hands are otherwise occupied.The ZTE Project CSX will reevaluate Hawkeye and improve its hardware. Probably, a higher spec'd handset will debut sooner or later.

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