Just a short while ago Motorola celebrated 45 years of mobile phone manufacturer. The company behind the world's first commercial handheld mobile phone has certainly come a long way over the decades. From brick phones big enough to tear your pocket to smartphones rotating keyboards, Motorola has dabbled in everything.
Since 1983, when the Dynatac 8000x - aka the grandaddy of cellphones - burst onto the scene, Motorola has been making a wide range of mobile phones, messaging phones, clamshell phones, fashion phones, and smartphones.
Browsing through old pictures of Motorola devices, whether or not they were good products, is bound to open up a nostalgic floodgate for most people.
We're taking a look back to show the most iconic, interesting and unusual Motorola devices from over the years. Which of these do you remember?
Motorola DynaTAC (1983)
You've seen this before. If you haven't, you're probably 12. It became the first cell phone to be offered commercially and is fondly remembered as an iconic part of the 1980s. When it released, it was also considered a symbol of wealth and futurism. Now it looks extremely archaic and almost comical, but this phone heralded the future of the modern smartphone.
Motorola MicroTac (1989)
The MicroTAC was the smallest and lightest phone available at the time and made headlines across the world. It was truly portable and ended up in just about every music video throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Motorola StarTAC (1996)
Ah, the "It" phone. The StarTAC was the successor of the MicroTAC, a semi-clamshell phone that had been launched in 1989. The StarTAC was among the first mobile phones to gain widespread consumer adoption.
Motorola D160 (1997)
If you couldn't afford the StarTAC in the 1990s, then you got the D160. It's also remembered as being one of the first PAYG (pay-as-you-go) phones.
Motorola I1000 Plus (1998)
The i1000plus was the world's first handset to combine a digital phone, two-way radio, alphanumeric pager, Internet microbrowser, e-mail, fax and two-way messaging.
Motorola Timeport (1999)
The Motorola Timeport is one of several candybar phones manufactured by Motorola. Its design included an Organic Electroluminescent display, which wasn't fully colour but included classic greens, blues and reds of the time. The Timeport made its name by working on GSM 900Mhz, 1800Mhz and 1900Mhz networks meaning it could work in the UK, most of Europe and the United States too. This phone was the executive's phone of choice at the time.
Motorola V100 (1999)
Described as a personal communicator as well as a phone, the V100 propelled the two-way messaging craze. Vibration alerts, mono ringtones and a funky design made this one pretty popular.
Motorola Timeport P7389i (2000)
Motorola and Cisco Systems supplied the world's first commercial GPRS cellular network to BT Cellnet in the UK. The Timeport P7389i then became the first GPRS cellular phone.
Motorola V70 (2002)
The V70 certainly sported a pretty cool look. This instantly recognisable design was considered a fashion phone back in its day. A swivelling circular monochrome panel with a neon backlight keypad and interchangeable frames made this a pretty snazzy device from Motorola. The Motorola V70 had a WAP browser, GPRS capabilities, a vibrating mode and voice dialling.
Motorola T720 (2002)
Often described as a cross between the StarTAC and V60 series, the T720 notably included customisation features. Owners were able to change the phone's front and black plates to customise and personalise the look of their device.
Motorola C200 (2003)
This phone was pretty boring for its time, but its simple design and cheap price tag made it the company’s third highest-selling cellphone of all time. The Motorola C200 was so well built that some users were claiming to still be using this phone, with its original battery, as late as 2011.
Motorola A760 (2003)
The A760 was world's first handset to combine a Linux operating system and Java technology with full PDA functionality. Highlights of this device included a digital camera, video player, MP3 player, speakerphone, multimedia messaging and even Bluetooth technology.
Motorola I730 (2003)
This phone spearheaded the PTT (push-to-talk) craze. It was a Nextel-operated device and became synonymous with the carrier. It also boasted a fancy display capable of supporting up to 65,000 colours. A classic flip phone loved by many.
Motorola RAZR (2004)
Back in 2004, we had plenty of good things to say about the Motorola RAZR. Its extremely thin design made it stand out from the competition, and this particular model is now often associated with the entire Razr series. A slim and metallic body spoke of the future of minimalistic smartphone design and saw this device being marketed as an exclusive fashion phone. The RAZR proved wildly successful and Motorola sold over 50 million units by 2006.
Motorola PEBL (2005)
The Motorola PEBL was a classic clam-shell mobile phone that could be snapped open with one hand and featured a highly polished metal finish and a cool (for the time) appearance. It supported the triband network, had a whopping 5 megabytes of memory and even sported a VGA camera.
Motorola ROKR E1 (2005)
The Motorola ROKR E1 saw Motorola pairing up with Apple to create a brand new device that would be the first phone to support iTunes syncing - the second one being the Apple iPhone in 2007. The Motorola ROKR E1 allowed users to take 100 tracks from their iTunes collection out and about with them. This paled in insignificance when compared with the Apple iPod and a slow transfer rate resulted in a lack of appeal and lacklustre sales.
Motorola Krzr K1 (2006)
As a clamshell/flip phone, the KRZR was longer but narrower than the Motorola Razr. The KRZR series kicked off with the K1. Motorola was trying to rejuvenate the success of the original RAZR with this new device that included a 2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player and a snazzy design. We thought it was certainly a safe upgrade from the RAZR, but hardly a radical and exciting departure.
Read: Motorola MOTOKRZR K1 mobile phone review
Motorola Q (2006)
The Motorola Q was a non-touchscreen phone that ran Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone Edition OS. With the Motorola Q, the company was attempting to offer an alternative to BlackBerry that was incredibly popular with business folk of the time.
The Moto Q featured a QWERTY keyboard, integrated Bluetooth technology, EV-DO access, wireless sync for any time connectivity with email, calendar and contacts synchronisation as well as support for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat. But none of these features was enough to dethrone BlackBerry.
Motorola SLVR L6 (2006)
Known for its thin design, the L6 held the title of the thinnest mobile phone in the UK before the Samsung P300 came along. The Motorola SLVR L6 was ideal for the fashionista on a budget (as we put it in 2006). It had a few things going for it, but wasn't without its flaws.
Read the review: Motorola SLVR L6 review
Motorola Rizr Z8 (2007)
The Motorola Rizr Z8 featured an incredibly funky design for the time. We enjoyed the tactile feel and the classic Motorola materials combined with the kick-slider design. While other phones of the time were focussed on music, the Motorola Rizr Z8 was pitched as a video device. A screen that supported 16 million colours and 30FPS were the other highlights, as were the HSDPA connectivity, stereo Bluetooth, 2-megapixel camera and an expandable microSD slot.
Read the first-look: Motorola MotoRIZR Z8 mobile phone
Motorola ROKR E8 (2008)
The Motorola Rokr E8 wanted to be everyone's music player and that much was clear from the four-way music controls featured prominently on the design. At the time, we thought the music sounded great, but it wasn't the most advanced phone on the market and other features had suffered in favour of music capabilities. Still, at least it had a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Read the full review: Motorola Rokr E8 mobile phone
Motorola AURA (2008)
The Motorola Aura bore a striking similarity to the V70 from a few years previous. But this outlandish mobile represented an entry into the elite world of high-end mobile phones with a £1,400 price tag that puts even today's flagships to shame. Made from stainless steel, the Motorola Aura also boasted moving cogs and a circular screen protected by a Swiss-made lens.
This phone was well and truly about looks over functionality. No Wi-Fi, 3G or microSD card slot and certainly no apps to speak of, but it did look pretty special.
Read our review: Motorola Aura review
Motorola ZN5 (2008)
The Motorola ZN5 saw Motorola pushing hard to regain the glory days of the RAZR. This time Motorola collaborated with Kodak to release a device with a focus on photography. This candybar style phone included a 5-megapixel camera as well as optimisation for multimedia applications. We found the ZN5 to be a bit underwhelming at the time, but it's certainly another of Motorola's more interesting devices.
Read the review: Motorola ZN5 mobile phone
Motorola Droid (2009)
The Motorola Droid was a multi-media enable smartphone that ran Google's Android operating system. The Droid launched with Android Eclair (Android 2.0) and helped kick off one of the most successful mobile franchises in the world. At the time, we thought the Motorola Droid was a fantastic device offering a state-of-the-art experience with flawless telephone reception to boot.
Read the review: Motorola Droid review
Motorola Droid X (2010)
This device revamped the Droid series by ditching the huge, heavy design often associated with Droids in favour of a (at that time, anyway) slim design. Despite this, it was still large and hardly the prettiest device around, but it did include an 8-megapixel camera and excellent video capture too. The Droid X certainly had a lot going for it and ran on Android 2.2 with Swype pre-installed, which made it interesting after the ditching of the slide out keyboard.
Read the review: Droid X by Motorola
Motorola MING A1680 (2011)
The Motorola Ming was a mobile phone sold in Hong Kong and China only. It was part of a series of devices with interesting specifications, this model included a transparent clamshell cover and stylus pen. Certainly quirky.
Motorola ATRIX 4G (2011)
After a high-profile debut at CES 2011, this device is ultimately remembered for its gimmicky laptop dock. Motorola's focus was on a device that put a computer in your pocket and came with a range of accessories too. The Motorola ATRIX was likely the forefather of the current Moto Mods and showed that Motorola wasn't afraid to innovate.
Read the review: Motorola Atrix review
Motorola Droid Razr Maxx (2012)
Resurrecting the Razr series, the Maxx had a long-lasting battery life and impressive Smart Actions software. The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx once again saw Motorola trying to relive the hazy days of RAZR glory. This new device might not have had the same style as the original device, but what it did have was a smashing battery - which lasted for as much as two days. At the time, it was likely the best Android device to own, especially if you wanted it to last and last. The lack of Android 4 at launch had many upset though.
Read the review: Motorola Razr Maxx review
Motorola Droid 4 (2012)
A part of the Verizon Droid franchise, the Droid 4 is considered one of the last great QWERTY smartphones. It supposedly perfected the mobile keyboard with responsive, tactile, and strong keys.
Moto X (2013)
Motorola Moto X was Motorola's first flagship after becoming a Google-owned company and as such, it was much anticipated and much sought after. It wasn't really much of a flagship though, aimed more at the mass market and designed to appeal to everyone it didn't have the bleeding edge specs many would hope for from a flagship device. It did, however, offer customisation options and some funky aesthetics thanks to Moto Maker.
The Motorola Moto X was a pretty great phone with a variety of interesting features and smart technologies. It also had a great price and was certainly accessible to the average consumer.
Read the review: Motorola Moto X review
Motorola Droid Turbo (2014)
A part of the Verizon Droid franchise, the Droid Turbo was a high-end Android smartphone that boasted a 5.2-inch AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution. Highlights to this phone included a 20.7 rear-facing camera with a dual flash and 4K video recording capabilities. The Droid Turbo was a specs powerhouse and promised to outperform the Nexus 6 but lacked the latest version of the Android.
Nexus 6 (2014)
The Nexus 6 saw Motorola going large with a Nexus device that moved into the phablet territory. This phone had many saying it was "too big" but was also rejoiced for being a fantastic all-around smartphone running the latest version of Android that was always sure to appeal to true Android fans.
The Nexus 6 followed the design of the Moto X and it looked really good for it too. We thought the Nexus 6 had plenty of power, good all-round performance and a solid build backed by an attractive design.
Read the review: Nexus 6 review: Highly accomplished, but a bit of a handful
Moto G 3rd Gen (2015)
The first generation of the Moto G smartphone was Motorola's best-selling smartphone ever. It was also was among the company's last new products before its acquisition by Lenovo in 2014. It was no surprise then to see a third generation of the Moto G released in 2015. This Moto G offered 4G capabilities at a budget price point as well as Android Lollipop operating system, a few added software bonuses from Motorola and a solid battery life. We thought the Moto G was a solid all-around performer.
Read the review: Motorola Moto G (2015) review: Budget big screen adds 4G, lacks new design thrills
Moto z and Moto Mods (2016)
The Moto Z was all about mods - clip-on modules offering a variety of different highlights including speakers, improved cameras and much more. This certainly made the phone stand out, but also assumed you'd want to spend more money in order to accessorise your smartphone. The Moto Z wasn't a flagship device, but it was certainly interesting.
Read the review: Motorola Moto Z review: A modular muddle
Motorola Moto Z Play (2017)
2017's Moto Z Play was an impressive phone for sure. A big, beautiful and brilliant smartphone that was capable of lasting a full day without needing any extra juice.
Mods were a big part of the Moto Z Play's design - offering a customisable device with a surprisingly affordable price tag.
Read the review: Motorola Moto Z Play review: Unbeatable battery life bettered by Mods
Motorola Moto G6 (2018)
The Moto G6 continued a successful line of affordable smartphones that started in 2013. It was also feature-packed for such an affordable device with a dual camera, fast-charging, an 18:9 aspect ratio screen, fingerprint scanner and more.
The Moto G6 also offered the premium look and feel of more expensive devices of the time, without the hefty price tag.
Read the review: Motorola Moto G6 review: The affordable smartphone, reinvented
Motorola Moto One (2018)
The Moto One released in 2018 as an interestingly affordable phone that was pitched as cheaper than the Moto G range. This device also shipped with Google's Android One software giving users (in Google's words) "the best version of Android, right out of the box".
This phone featured a decent day-to-day performance and clean software but lacked some of the specs of mid-range and premium devices that might have made it more appealing. Proof that you do get what you pay for though and a very good phone for the money.
Read the review: Motorola Moto One review: The affordable, affable mid-ranger
Motorola Moto G8 Plus (2019)
The Moto G8 Plus is 2019's affordable smartphone and a solo handset that represented a move away from the standard, Plus, Play and Power variants.
The G8 Plus is essentially an affordable phone with excellent battery life, decent feature set and a fantastic price tag.
Motorola Moto One Macro (2019)
The Motorola Moto One Macro is an odd addition to Motorola's line-up. This smartphone has a particular focus on macro photography, which is certainly different from other devices out there. It also comes with Android One styling and a low, low price tag too.
That's just a small selection of the Motorola phones from over the years, any you remember fondly that we've missed? Let us know in the comments.
No comments: