Ericsson Sxxxx

Year: 1999
Prototype level: Cancelled
Codename: Margareta

Overview

Margareta is a little-known Ericsson prototype that never made it to the market. At first glance, its housing resembles the American A2218z, but the similarities are somewhat misleading. The hardware inside tells a different story: Margareta uses a dual-band PCB covering both European GSM 900 and 1800, while the prototype itself is based on an A2618 daughterboard. This combination makes it an unusual example of Ericsson adapting existing hardware and designs during development for different markets.

The prototype is also unusual in its identification. According to Ericsson’s product database, Margareta was supposed to carry an Sxxxx model designation. This is somewhat puzzling, as other known released and unreleased Ericsson S-series phones use a letter followed by three digits. Whether the four-character designation was intentional or simply an error in the database remains unclear. Either way, the unusual designation adds another small mystery to an already obscure Ericsson prototype.