The truth is, ZTE’s Hawkeye phone was one of countless devices that got lost in the insurmountable signal to noise that was CES. And let’s be honest, of all of the far out pitches the company received in the lead up to its first Project CSX crowdfunding device launch, the winner was really one of the more mundane selections.
The eye-tracking, adhesive handset hit Kickstarter on January 4th, and while it’s certainly not a lost cause, two full weeks after launch, the product is only a fraction o the way toward its lofty $500,000 goal. The company’s ready to address some of the initial grumbles with the device by actually offering up some concrete specs this week.
According to ZTE, the delay in issuing such information was due to the company’s continued commitment toward gauging user feedback – though it seems just as likely that the handset maker is simply seeking to drag out the news around the product for as long as possible.
The basics are already in place, of course – eye tracking, coupled with an adhesive backing, theoretically saving users a hand in the process. The Kickstarter price was also already announced at CES, running $199 for a limited time. The processor, not surprisingly, isn’t exactly bleeding edge – a Snapdragon 625.
There’s a decently sized 3000mAh battery inside, coupled with Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0. The Hawkeye features a 5.5 inch display and will run some version of Android Nougat out of the box. It’s also got a dual SIM or expandable memory via microSD. A rear-fingerprint sensor, souped up speakers (a sort of ZTE mainstay) and NFC will also be on-board.