There’s always something flagship devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S7 or the Nexus 6P leave out that some power users want — whether it’s a lack of a USB Type C port or a missing MicroSD slot to add more storage.
But what if you could choose what went into your next device? That’s what Finnish tech startup Eve is offering, although their first crowdsourced device is a 2-in-1 Windows 10 laptop/tablet hybrid. The low-key company surprisingly has drawn talent from people who have worked with Google, Nokia, and Xiaomi, and has even snatched up OnePlus’ former art director.
The 2-in-1 tablet is codenamed the “Pyramid Flipper,” says CEO and co-founder Karatsevidis Konstantinos. He says after they unveiled their first Windows 10 tablet, the Eve T1, they saw people responding on how they wish the product had certain features — and this applied to all sorts of devices from a range of manufacturers. So the company decided to let their next device be completely crowdsourced.
“Most of the people in the industry say the end user doesn’t know what they want, but actually they do,” Konstantinos told Digital Trends. “We ask all kinds of things, what screen it should have, what ports, what kind of material, colors, I mean the whole thing is completely kind of crowd developed and we’re really transparent about our process.”
You can register on Eve’s website, and once you do you’ll get access to the forums, where you can participate in polls on what specifications you want the device to be. And it’s essentially all about cutting out the middle man — for parts, the company directly shows what components are available and at what price points.
The “Pyramid Flipper” will see its specification finalized and announced by the end of March. Certain parts like the processor have been finalized already — it’s an Intel Core M5.
Design is also something that’s voted on — well, the company submits concepts to the forums and people get to choose which they like the best. The tablet hybrid will definitely have a kickstand, as it’s something people voted highly for, USB Type C with Thunderbolt 3, a keyboard that Konstantinos says will “have a few surprises,” and a stylus, though that’s not finalized yet. On the software side, it will also be free of bloatware.
“We connect the end user to the manufacturer so that we can create together.”
The company is mum on the cost of the tablet, but Konstantinos says “it will be a great price.”
That’s what Eve’s mantra is — offering “flagship killer” specs for affordable prices. The T1 tablet cost about 159 euros, and the company sold around 5,000 units in the span of two months. To keep those costs down, the company is only offering its products via its website, but you can buy them from anywhere in the world.
Konstantinos did say they’re looking to crowdfund the device on Indiegogo in the middle of summer this year.
What will the next product be? That’s also up to the end user. The company will hold a vote to decide what the people want them to build next.
“We’re kind of the means-to-an-end guys, in the sense that we connect the end user to the manufacturer so that we can create together,” Konstantinos said.
