Have you ever had a bright idea that you really think could be the next big thing but you didn’t know who to talk to to make it happen or whether any company will actually buy it? Well if it’s a smartphone that you’ve been thinking about, then now is your chance to make yourself be heard. ZTE USA has launched Project CSX with the intention of crowdsourcing the next mobile device that they will be releasing next year.
They’re probably the first company that will be able to say that everything, starting with the concept and up until the release will actually be coming from their consumers. The platform they will be using is the Z-Community, a member led forum started by ZTE. They want this to be just the first in what should be a new method to create products that will appeal to the market, especially since it is the market itself that will have conceptualized the device. “It’s a bold approach for the industry that demonstrates how ZTE keeps consumers at the heart of everything we imagine, design and deliver,” said ZTE USA CEO Lixin Cheng.
There are three rules for when you want to submit a concept. First, it has to be a mobile product, because of course, that’s what ZTE does. Second, the concept has to be realistically possible by 2017. So there has to be some research done here and no far out sci-fi ideas. Lastly, it has to be affordable for most people. The products that ZTE creates are mostly in the mid to low range, so it has to fit in with their market as well.
Submissions that will be chosen and that will be most popular will receive small cash prizes all throughout the process. They will also get the chance to win a trip to the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas. Those who are registered on the Z-Community will also get the chance to have early access to the final product. More details on the instructions, prizes, and rules can be found here.
SOURCE: ZTE
