The 20 Sony Products You Never Knew Existed

Sony has been around for quite a long time and so many unique and wacky products have come from this brand. Sony was first started as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. in 1946. However, it became Sony Corporation in 1958. Believe it or not, Sony's first product was an electric rice cooker. The company also began as an electronics shop with only eight employees. Now, Sony produces headphones, cameras, phones, TVs, video game equipment, and more. Also, Sony employs around 113,000 employees across the world.

Sony is one of the biggest electronics companies in the world, like Samsung. Samsung is older than Sony. It was founded on March 1, 1938 as a trading company.

What once started as a small electronics shop in Japan, is a household international name. This technology and electronics company has been open for over sixty years. You can only begin to imagine just how many strange and funny products Sony created. Some of these never even made it to the shelves. For instance, have you heard of the QRIO? It was a 2-foot tall entertainment robot that never saw the light of day. This is just one of many Sony products you've probably never heard of. Another addition to this list is the Sony LED Light Bulb Speakers. Imagine owning light bulbs that also act as speakers.

To curate this list of the 20 Sony products you never knew existed, 24/7 Tempo consulted several entertainment and technology publications and websites. We reviewed websites for product listicles like The Verge and The Gamer. We also explored the Sony website for more information about the company and its history. Some of the products were also found on the Sony website. (Click here for the 20 Samsung products you never knew existed.)

Follow along to read about 20 Sony products you never knew existed:

More people should know about the Sony Rolly Robotic Rolling Wireless Speakers, also known as the Sony Rolly. This tiny egg-shaped robotic music player has two wheels which allows it to rotate and spin. It also had two bands of colorful lights. The Sony Rolly was launched on August 20, 2007. It was initially priced at nearly $400 but was lowered quickly to $229.99. This exciting product though was only around for about two years. It was discontinued in 2009.

Have you ever heard of the Sony eMarker? This unique product blew away so many minds but is now only ever briefly referenced. The Sony eMarker was a small device that allowed users to 'mark' (bookmark) songs on the radio. This bookmark was a timestamp that you could check for the song and the artist. It didn't work most of the time. This product was released around 2000 for $19.95. It's now easier to use mobile apps that can automatically tell listeners the song and artist.

Also on our list of the 20 Sony products you never knew existed is the Sony Mylo Portable Instant Messaging Device. It was also shortened to Mylo. Now we have smartphones with all the capabilities of this device and more, so it isn't something necessary. The Mylo was released on September 15, 2006. It was discontinued in 2010. This product was targeted at young adults. Using Wi-Fi, you could share media files, browse the web, and send instant messages.

You won't find anyone regularly using a Sony D88 Discman. However, when it was first released, everyone loved it. The D88 Discman was a large, portable CD player. Although considered large by today's standards, it was one of the smallest Discman. This product was released in 1988 and included a carrying bag, AC power adapter, connecting cord, headphones, battery pack case, and a rechargeable battery pack. On websites like eBay, the Sony D88 Discman sells for $300 or more.

You've probably never heard of the Sony Vaio UX 8/10, however, it was super popular when first released. this product was first marketed around 2006. It was a portable and lightweight Ultra-Mobile Portable Computer (UMPC) with a slide-out keyboard. It also had a touchscreen, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. Time changes fast. By 2012, most adults were carrying around smartphones with touchscreens.

Briefly mentioned in our introduction, the Sony QRIO never saw the light. This innovative entertainment robot interested many consumers. It was first marketed in 2003, although never released. By 2006, production ceased on AIBO and QRIO. At least ten QRIO prototypes were created, although the true number is unknown. They were dancing robots, some with installed cameras. Sony QRIO also had voice and face recognition capabilities. Who knows what QRIO would have looked like if it was ever released?

Another Sony product you've probably never heard of is the Sony Clie UX50. The Sony Clie UX50 was part of the Sony Clie UX series. The other product in the series, the UX40, only used Bluetooth, not Wi-Fi. This tiny, palm-sized portable laptop was ahead of its time. It came out in 2003 and had incredible features like a keyboard, swiveling touchscreen, Bluetooth, WiFi, and a camera. Now our phones act like mini, but powerful laptops.

The Sony eVilla was a bulky internet appliance. It was first released on June 14, 2001. It cost $499 during its debut. However, to access the internet, video, and image capabilities, and storage on Sony's Memory Stick, you needed to pay $21.95 a month. You've probably never heard of this product because of its poor performance. After three months, Sony discontinued the product on September 13, 2001.

The Sony LSPX-S2 is a bit confusing to look at. If you are just looking at it, you probably won't know what it does. The Sony LSPX-S2 is an expensive glass speaker. To many, it's not worth the price. The Sony LSPX-S2 is a digital flickering candle you can use to listen to music. It uses LED candles that you can adjust on the app. This is a great product for tech lovers who want a more modern look. Some people use the Sony LSPX-S2 as both a speaker and decoration.

The tenth product on our list is the Sony Aromastic Mobile Scent Dispenser. Sony really does create just about any product you can think of. The Sony Aromastic Mobile Scent Dispenser is a small and sleek scent dispenser. It comes in three fragrance cartridge styles, Basic, Beauty, or Business.

The Sony Pocket Air goes by any name. It's also called the Sony Reon Pocket 2. This interesting and strange device is a small wearable air conditioner. You can keep it in your pocket and it comes with cooling and heating capabilities. The Sony Reon Pocket 2 has four temperature levels and two modes. It's also sweat-resistant. Imagine owning a Bluetooth mini air conditioner and wearing it everywhere you go.

The Sony XEL-1 OLED TV is an unforgettable product. This interesting Sony product is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) television. It was the first of its kind, created in 2007, but launched in 2008. The screen was thin and only about 11 inches diagonally. It had a few negatives and yet still was listed for $2,499.99. Now, you can find used Sony XEL-1 OLED TVs for under $1,200.

It's hard to keep track of all the products Sony has created. This international brand does a little bit of everything. I also created the Sony LED Light Bulb Speakers. These speakers are exactly what they sound like. They are LED lights that also act like speakers. Although an interesting product, the reviews are overwhelmingly negative. Users complain about the loudness. It also distorts at high volumes.

Another Sony product you've probably never heard of to make our list is the Sony SRS-LSR100 Wireless Speaker TV Remote. This bulky TV remote is drip-proof. It was a large remote that also acted as a speaker. It worked by using Bluetooth. The Sony SRS-LSR100 Wireless Speaker TV Remote runs for 16 hours when fully charged.

Next on our list is the Sony Wena Wrist Pro Smart Watch Strap. This smartwatch strap was first only available in Japan. Now it's also sold in the U.K. Don't get confused though, it's not a smartwatch, but just the strap. This strap has an OLED screen which converts regular watches into smartwatches. The Sony Wena Wrist Pro Smart Watch Strap connects to the Wena Wrist Pro App and tracks sleep, steps, and calories.

Who wouldn't want a robotic dog? Sony launched AIBO, a series of robotic dogs, in 1999. They were popular for a reason. These adorable entertainment products were added to Carnegie Mellon University's Robot Hall of Fame. Although wildly entertaining and popular, Sony discontinued AIBO in 2006. This was alongside the never-released QRIO.

Sony is also known for creating interesting and cool cameras. One of the most interesting camera products is the Sony ODO Digital Camera. It's a kinetic-powered camera that takes pictures after it spins for 15 seconds. It's also self-charging. The product was interesting but never released or produced. Not a lot is known about this product or why it was never released.

Sony hasn't just produced cameras, phones, or TVs, but also accessories. A hidden gem that not a lot of people know about is the Sony Cybershot DSC-QX10. This product is a small lens attachment you can use with your smartphone or tablet. It attaches to the camera with a 25 mm wide-angle lens and 10x optical zoom. It's small, compact, and portable. The Sony Cybershot DSC-QX10 isn't perfect though. Some users complain about lagging and connectivity issues.

Continuing our list of the 20 Sony products you never knew existed is the Sony Folding Tablet P. The Sony Tablet P was short-lived. It was released in November 2011. Sony discontinued this product a year later in December 2012. It was a small and portable tablet computer that had a lot of issues. One of the biggest complaints with users was how hard it was to read or play games. The folding screen was split by a large, black hinge that was hard to ignore.

Last but not least is the Sony MZ-R5ST. Unless you're huge into technology, you've probably never heard of this product. It was a portable recorder with a docking station. The Sony MZ-R5ST even included an easy-to-use remote. This recorder had about 3.5 hours of recording and 5.5 hours of playback. It was released in 1997. On eBay, you can find this vintage product starting at $250 in good condition.

Are you interested in learning about more interesting products? Click here for the oldest products continuously sold in America.