Did it ever occur to you that you bought a smartphone but later on found out that it had some unnecessary features? Or maybe you purchased a new smartphone which has the fastest processor in the market but is low on RAM and storage? If you think that you should be the one who gets to decide what is good for you and not someone from the company, then you are going to like Project CSX that has been launched by ZTE.
Under Project CSX, ZTE will manufacture the mobile device from crowdsourced ideas. People can share their ideas and opinion about how a smartphone should be, and, if ZTE thinks it’s something new, it will implement that idea into its smartphone.
“This is the first time a phone manufacturer is stepping out and crowdsourcing something entirely new, from start to finish. It’s a bold approach for the industry that demonstrates how ZTE keeps consumers at the heart of everything we imagine, design and deliver. Project CSX is taking our core value to the next level.” said Lixin Cheng, Chairman and CEO of ZTE USA.
This new device will entirely be created from crowdsourced ideas. ZTE’s Z-Community will serve as a platform where users can engage. You can submit your ideas on the Z-Community, and, if it’s picked up by ZTE, you will be awarded cash prizes as well. Users will get to share their ideas at every step of the development process, right from the beginning till the end.
While this sounds cool, there are some rules you should know:
- It must be a mobile product
- The technology must be realistically possible by 2017
- The final product must be affordable for the general population
Well, these rules should give you a fair idea of what ZTE is looking for. ZTE plans to develop a smartphone from crowdsourced ideas which should be affordable and can be launched in 2017.
“Sometimes the best ideas come from people outside of a company who have a fresh take we wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. ZTE is an end-to-end telecommunications company and has the resources to develop all types of devices, not just smartphones. Maybe there are other ways we could be connecting that we have never imagined. We are excited to find out.” said Jeff Yee, Vice President of Technology Planning and Partnerships at ZTE USA.
Winners will not only be awarded with cash prizes but will also have a chance to win a trip to CES in Las Vegas. Besides this, participants registered on Z-Community will get early access to the product.
By the way, what kind of a smartphone will you consider as an ideal smartphone? Do share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
