ZTE Crowdsources New Smartphone Concept With Self-Adhesive Tech And Eye Tracking
Most smartphone manufacturers usually work on their latest creations under highly secretive conditions. ZTE is taking a different approach with an upcoming product, however, and turned to the public for opinions and design ideas. The end result is a smartphone unlike anything currently on the market.
Right off the bat, there are some obvious differences between ZTE's concept device and those we see on the market today. Instead of a "Home" button below the screen, for example, there is a camera. That camera doesn't replace the one typically located above the screen on most of today's smartphones though, because the goal is to integrate reliable eye tracking. ZTE wants users to be able to scroll websites and other apps with their eye movements alone, rather than touching the screen, as seen in the example below:
The illustration also reveals some interesting design choices on the back, which are for more than just aesthetics. The grey section is actually an adhesive that would allow people to affix the phone to something stable for whatever reason. This adhesive could also be removed or replaced. Its not clear whether the adhesive would be a dust magnet or make it difficult to slide the phone into or out of a pocket, but the potential is there.
ZTE's device would also sport some features for users who are sensitive about their privacy. The phone would be outfitted with a "Dual Directional Viewing" LCD, which allows two images to be displayed at once -- but viewable from two different angles. The technology would essentially show a different image (or nothing at all) to viewers peering at the screen from the sides, while the user directly in front of the screen sees something else. Separate filters have existed to accomplish something similar for a while, but they haven't been built into a smartphone as of yet.
It goes without saying that this phone sports an interesting design and might not be for everyone. Some consumers won't care about all of the feature it offers, but the phone would certainly be unique in today's smartphone market. One potential problem we see, would be the USB port that is placed on the back (visible in the top image, next to the camera). Its position may be useful for docks, but not so much for those using a straight cable.
That being said, it seems unlikely that this phone would be released with the exact specifications and features listed by its designer. For example, the designer wishes for a 3,500-4,000mAh battery, but if the phone simply doesn't have enough space for one, that would have to be whittled down. The designer also calls for an unannounced Snapdragon processor, so that too would likely have to be tweaked, depending on when (or if) the phone is ever put into production.
What do you think of this creation? Would you buy a smartphone like this one, if all of the features worked as advertised?
