ZTE Hawkeye is a phone that's literally thinking outside of the rectangular aluminum box, and it's a concept that just might 'stick around.'
It's a self-adhesive phone with eye-tracking capabilities, so you can stick it to a wall, a mirror or the back of the train seat in front of you, then scroll hands-free.
The crazy idea behind this surface-hugging Android Nougat smartphone was crowd-designed through a online voting process in 2016, and now it's being crowd-funded on Kickstarter.
At CES 2017, ZTE didn't have the self-adhesive concept on display, but it did show us several prototypes, including an eye-catching leaf green color.
ZTE Hawkeye specs
ZTE Hawkeye is the cleverly named eye-tracking phone that shows the Chinese smartphone maker is willing to take on new ideas that no one else is tackling.
When you think about it, this unlocked handset is basically the opposite of the unflinching iPhone 7. Who says that smartphones have become boring?
The final design will have a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a fingerprint sensor, Hi-Fi audio and a dual rear camera with enhanced image and zoom capabilities.
While the chipset hasn't been announced, it's supposed to include a large battery with quick charging capabilities and dual SIM/microSD card slots.
ZTE Hawkeye release date and price
When can we expect to see the first self-adhesive phone to ship to Kickstarter backers? The initial deliveries should happen in September of this year.
The best part is that the Kickstarter ongoing campaign means you can reserve one now and help fund the whacky idea at an affordable price.
It costs $199, although you can pledge more if you'd like to (you won't). That's a good price for a budget phone, never mind one with novelty features.
We really liked the ZTE Axon 7 from a year ago for its flagship features at an affordable price. This phone is even cheaper and includes surprises no one saw coming. It's one to watch in 2017.
