Ericsson SF888

Year: 1997
Prototype level: Cancelled
Codename: Daphne/Sofia Lotta

Overview

The Ericsson SF888 is one of those prototypes that sits in an interesting grey area between a planned product and a conventional prototype. Ericsson announced the SF888 alongside the SH888 in 1997, presenting it as the flip version of the new dual-band business phone. The company expected both models to become commercially available, but while the SH888 eventually reached the market, the SF888 appears to have stopped somewhere along the way.

Despite repeated references to the SF888 in contemporary material, I have found no convincing evidence that it was ever actually sold to customers or released through Ericsson’s normal distribution channels. Later references tend to repeat the original announcement rather than document an actual market launch. This is particularly significant because Ericsson eventually introduced the I888 as its US-oriented member of the 888 family. A former Ericsson employee has also confirmed that the SF888 was never released.

The SF888 is therefore classified here as Prototype I, not because Ericsson never intended it to become a product, but because the intended commercial launch apparently never happened. Its existence preserves a branch of the 888 development that was announced to the public but disappeared before reaching the market.