If it is planned it's a very cynical way of meeting a target by effectively lowering mid-campaign.
Having thousands donate at $800 and the refunding the difference down to $695 means that the "target" is met but the actual net amount is lowered by that amount that needs to be refunded.
It doesn't actually help them meet the lowered target either, it simply lowers the target while getting them no closer to the target by lowering their effective amount raised at the same time.
That's why I don't think it was planned. It feels to me less planned and more reacting to not meeting their target but reacting in a not so clever way.
The thing is, if they can't keep steady during the fund-raising part I don't trust them to deliver on the hard part of building the hardware.
Either way I also don't believe this is in any way really connected to lower component price deals, this is marketing but in my opinion it's not clever marketing.
I think you're right. If they'd truly wanted to build the best speced phone possible they would've used the savings to build an even better phone.
I can imagine this scenario going on: They got a bit scared to loose the project altogether. Brainstormed ways to inject some buzz into the fundraiser. A pricedrop was one of the possibilities (it also lowers the barrier to pledge). Conveniently it was also somewhat true because early indications from suppliers. They lowered their expectations from "We want to build the best fucking phone possible" to "We want to build the best phone with great hardware"
Nothing wrong with that but dropping the price is still marketing ;)
Having thousands donate at $800 and the refunding the difference down to $695 means that the "target" is met but the actual net amount is lowered by that amount that needs to be refunded.
It doesn't actually help them meet the lowered target either, it simply lowers the target while getting them no closer to the target by lowering their effective amount raised at the same time.
That's why I don't think it was planned. It feels to me less planned and more reacting to not meeting their target but reacting in a not so clever way.
The thing is, if they can't keep steady during the fund-raising part I don't trust them to deliver on the hard part of building the hardware.
Either way I also don't believe this is in any way really connected to lower component price deals, this is marketing but in my opinion it's not clever marketing.