Sony Ericsson W707

Year: 2008
Prototype level: Cancelled
Codename: Alicia

Overview

The Sony Ericsson W707, codenamed Alicia, was an unusual Walkman clamshell developed in 2008 that never reached commercial release. The phone followed the general design language of Sony Ericsson’s contemporary Walkman range, but its defining feature was the unusual arrangement of three displays. Alongside the main internal screen and a conventional external display, Alicia had a circular touch-sensitive display integrated into the front of the phone. This could be used for music controls, animations and an analogue-style clock, giving the closed handset a very different appearance from other Walkman models of the period.

Alicia was heavily photographed and demonstrated before the project was cancelled, and the W707 name was widely reported as its intended commercial model number. Some contemporary reports suggested features such as GPS and dedicated controls for functions including the FM radio and weather information. Although Sony Ericsson never brought the W707 to market, surviving prototypes show that the project had progressed considerably beyond an early concept, with working hardware and software existing before development was abandoned. The W707 is therefore a particularly good example of a cancelled Sony Ericsson project that came surprisingly close to becoming a real product.