ZTE Crowd-Source Smartphone to be Launched in 2017; Never-Seen-Before Features Included

ZTE is an electronic company based in Shenzhen, China who is known for manufacturing products like semi-conductors has launched the Project CSX. This project allows the company to solicit ideas and proposal from the people on their upcoming smartphone to be launched in 2017.

The company has officially opened the website where people can submit their unique ideas and vote other's suggestion as well. In this way, the public can have the chance to see in life the kind of phone they wanted to have. The Vice President of Technology Planning and Partnerships of ZTE USA Jeff Yee told Digital Journal in an interview, "Sometimes the best ideas come from people outside of a company who have fresh take we wouldn't have thought of otherwise." Lixing Cheng, Chairman and CEO of ZTE USA also said, "Project CSX is a bold approach for the industry that demonstrates how ZTE keeps consumers at the heart of everything we imagine, design and deliver."

ZTE is taking their core to the next level through the Project CSX. However, since a crowd-source phone is a thing unfamiliar to others, there are those who raised their level of skepticism when it comes to the outcome of the project. As reported by BBC, Assistant Editor of Total Telecom Nick Wood said, "I'm skeptical that Project CSX will create something the world has never seen before." He said that if the device has to be affordable it may not come out with features that require new manufacturing technologies.

Some of the public ideas submitted to Project CSX website include flexible screens e.g. can rotate 360 degrees, solar-panel case, and compatibility with keyboard and games controllers which all of these are never-before-seen features in other mobile devices.

ZTE stressed out that they won't be stealing ideas. A cash prize of $1,500 will be given to the owners of ideas featured in the smartphone. Not only that, they will have the chance to attend the next CES in 2017 and an opportunity to purchase the smartphone ahead of others.