Helio Kickflip, Hero, and Ocean Prototype Shots
Posted by Greg Kumparak on February 22nd, 2008 at 11:10 PM
It’s a rare treat to get a glimpse of any device’s prototype form. It’s like getting to go through a friend’s photo albums from the years before you met them, back when they rocked headgear and a mullet.
Knowing that we can’t get enough of this stuff, our buddy HelioSKT from over at Helio House sent over a bunch of shots of the Kickflip, Hero, and Ocean in their prototype forms. It’s a trip to see some of the transformations these devices went through - especially the Kickflip. (Edit for clarification: These are previously unseen photos of past device prototypes - not unreleased shots of things to come.)
Many more pictures after the jump.
Click any of the images to see larger versions.
Kickflip Prototypes:
Not only did the Kickflip sport an antenna at one point, it had a secondary LCD on the back for self-portraits (later replaced with the notably more cost effective mirror). These prototypes are actually old enough that they’ve still got the “SK Earthlink” branding from before Helio was Helio.
Hero Prototype:
Ocean Prototype:
February 23rd, 2008 at 7:33 am
I’m lovin the Proto-Hero, the black kickflip as well. at first it was refreshing to see the ocean with a change up but in comparison to the final cut I do favor the soft plastic finish. it’d be cool to have actualy faceplates FROM HELIO to pop on and off to change it up sometimes though. THANKS HELIOSKT!
February 23rd, 2008 at 8:01 am
wow that ocean looks so ugly espicailly with the colors, it looks ugly
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:16 am
wow i’m surprised at how much and how little the ocean changed…
i can tell you right now, i would not own an ocean if it looked like THAT.
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:30 am
that Hero is beautiful! i’d buy that one right now! the Ocean is meh, but if it were all silver i’d love it! i was never a Kickflip fan but in black it wouldn’t have been so bad. thanks so much HelioSKT for the picks. i think i’m going to skin my Ocean in silver now!
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:45 am
wow that ocean is fuuuglyyy…. but the hero looks tight…
February 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
Looking at the Ocean, it really is crazy how a few cosmetic changes can make such a big difference. Kinda like Ashlee Simpson.
February 23rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
When is the new Ocean coming????
February 24th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Hahah I am guessing they focused more on the Oceans software than the look of the device.At least I would hope. I love the way the Hero and Kickflip look but I still wouldn’t trade my Ocean. I am not too interested in the Ocean two if it really comes out like that.
February 24th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Whups my bad I misread this whole thing lol just prototypes of the ones we have now. I thought they were re-doing all those. Hahaha oh well. Interesting about the ocean. I have still always liked the Kickflip. But like I said I wouldn’t trade my Ocean
February 26th, 2008 at 7:56 am
did yall ever notice on the keypad of the prototype ocean, all the number are there own key.i think they should have made the keypad like that in the first place. it would have been sooooo much better. ours our like 3 number to a key. if yall get what im sayin…
February 26th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I like the upgraded version of the Ocean. Now if they are going to put out this new sexy phone hopefully they will also put better usage to it as well. Faster typing and such? We shall see. If the company would come out with some sort of other dual slider or at least sidekick type of phone I would think of going with them. A smartphone in the design of the Ocean of sidekick would be pretty cool.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
POWerSUrgeSW3, these are old prototypes of existing devices. That’s not a new version of Ocean.