Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

9 Ways Motorola's Changed in 90 Years Before and After

25/09/2018

In sweet home Chicago on September 25, 1928 brothers Paul and Joseph Galvin incorporated Motorola's founding company, Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, with only one product and five employees. Flash forward through #90yearsmotorola and there's no doubt we have transformed the tech industry. Join us as we travel back through 90 years of innovation and technological breakthroughs to see how we have changed from then to now.

1.) We said goodbye to Galvin and hello to Motorola

Galvin Manufacturing introduced the Motorola car radio in 1930. The Motorola brand name became so popular that in 1947 Galvin Manufacturing Corporation changed its name to Motorola Incorporated. A short eight years later in 1955 the iconic Motorola batwing was born.

2.) Our 1st product fixed 1920s battery life probs, our latest solves today's need for speed

Our first-ever product was designed in 1928 to address a problem that continues to exist today: battery life. The Galvin Manufacturing battery eliminator allowed battery powered radios to run on household electricity. True to our DNA, we've never stopped delivering what matters most to you. One of our most recent products, the 5G moto modTM, will bring you speeds 10x faster than today's wireless technology and the increased connectivity you're looking for.1

Did you know that on a 5G network, you can download the latest season of your favorite show in HD in the time it takes to board a plane?

3.) From radio to millimeter, we've definitely made some waves

Galvin Manufacturing produced the world's first FM portable two-way radio in 1943. Since then we've brought the world's first commercial high-power transistor, commercial handheld cellular phone and two-way pager to name just a few. Most recently, we released the world's first 5G upgradable cell phone: the moto z3 and an accompanying 5G moto modTM so you can connect to Verizon's 5G network when it launches.1

Did you know at 2 lbs. and 10 in. long the world's first commercial handheld cellular phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x, was the size of a brick and weighed as much as a pineapple?

4.) We went from pocket-size pagers to RAZR thin flip phones

In 1982 the Motorola Sensar pager had a unique pen-sized design that looked radically different from any other pager on the market. It was only 2 ounces and conveniently fit into a pocket. In 2004, the innovative Motorola RAZR V3 changed the cell phone design game. With the thinnest profile on a clamshell cell phone of that time and an aluminum body, the RAZR was the first cell phone that doubled as a fashion accessory. The RAZR's V3 model sold more than 130 million units and was the best-selling clamshell phone in the world.

5.) We've transformed from modest mods to modern mods

Why carry a cell phone and a pager? In 1995, the Motorola RSVP numeric pager fit on the back of any MicroTAC to create a pager, cell phone combo! Today, we continue to push mobile phone limits with moto z and moto modsTM. Debuting in 2016, the moto z is more than just a smartphone snap on a moto modTM and transform it into a projector, photo printer, speaker and more.

6.) From Mount Everest to the moon, we've been everywhere

Over the past 90 years, we've been all over the globe and beyond! In 1969, a Motorola radio transponder aboard the Apollo 11 lunar module relayed the first words from the moon to Earth. In 2007, 30 years later, mountaineer Rod Bader climbed the highest peak of Mount Everest and used a Motorola MOTORIZR Z8 to make the highest-ever land-based portable phone call and text message.

7.) From the 1900s to the 2000s, we've never stopped creating bestsellers

In 1986, we introduced the world's best selling pager, the Bravo. The numeric pager could store five 24-character messages that was a lot back then! In the new millennium, the Motorola V60 became available in all three cellular technologies-GSM, TDMA and CDMA-and quickly became a worldwide best seller with internet access, text messaging and voice-activated dialing.

8.) Getting our start in Chicago's windy city, a global presence was only a few years away

While Motorola has always called Chicago home it didn't take long for us to build a global presence. In 1952 Motorola's first international subsidiary opened in Toronto, Canada, producing radios and televisions. Since then, Motorola has continued growing, with a strong presence in various countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and China.

Did you know the first recorded sale of a Motorola-branded product outside the United States took place in June of 1930 with the sale of two Motorola car radios to W. Oldenburger in Mexico City?

9.) The best is yet to come

MOTOROLA, Stylized M Logo, MOTO and the MOTO family of marks are trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC.

Disclaimers

1 5G connectivity available with 5G moto mod (sold separately, coming early 2019) and 5G network coverage (launching in select areas in 2019; expanding after that). See www.verizon.com/about/our-company/5g for details.
LINK: https://blog.motorola.com/2018/09/24/9-ways-motorolas-changed-90-years...
See more stories from motorola

Most recent headlines

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

19/04/2025

SDVI Earns Both Product and Project of the Year Awards at...

SDVI, the leading platform provider for cloud-native media supply chains, today announced that the company earned multiple awards at the 2025 NAB Show, with two...

19/04/2025

Ateliere Announces CEO Transition

Ateliere Creative Technologies, a leading GenAI media software solutions company, today announced that Dan Goman has stepped down as CEO and David Bortis, Ateli...

19/04/2025

Marshall CV574 Miniature 4K UHD Camera Revolutionizes Off...

As Director of Media and Aerial Production at Terrible Herbst Motorsports, Bryan Moore is setting new standards in off-road racing media coverage thanks to his ...

19/04/2025

Lightware Launches Dual Screen Extended Desktop Taurus

A next-generation collaboration device that redefines connectivity for meeting environments Lightware, an industry-leading manufacturer of signal management so...

19/04/2025

Calrec Wins 2025 NAB Show Product of the Year Award for N...

Calrec is today announcing that its True Control 2.0 is a Remote Production winner in the 2025 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards. This official awards program...

19/04/2025

Appear and NBCUniversal Win Project of the Year at NAB Sh...

Appear, a global leader in live production technology, proudly announces it has been recognised alongside NBCUniversal with the prestigious NAB Show Delivery Pr...

19/04/2025

Deity Microphones Announces The Deity THEOS DIFB at NAB 2...

Deity Microphones, a leader in innovative audio equipment, is proud to announce the expected release of our Ultra-Wide Band IFB to the market. The THEOS DIFB wi...

19/04/2025

LiveU IQ Technology Delivers Breakthrough Network Perform...

A world renowned broadcaster and long-standing LiveU customer has successfully completed a series of live connectivity tests using LiveU's revolutionary, aw...

19/04/2025

BitFire Wins 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year and Produc...

BitFire (bitfire.tv), a longtime leader in live video transport, today announced dual NAB Show award wins at the 2025 NAB Show in Las Vegas. The company's M...

19/04/2025

BitFire Wins Three Top Awards at 2025 NAB Show

BitFire (bitfire.tv), a longtime leader in live video transport, today announced three major award wins at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas. The compa...

19/04/2025

Moments Lab and Satisfaction Group Form Unique Strategic...

AI video discovery company Moments Lab and Satisfaction Group, a leading independent unscripted television production company, are proud to announce a unique st...

19/04/2025

The Infrastructure of Creative Flow DigitalGlues creative...

As the media industry navigates the triple challenge of AI-driven production, distributed teams, and skyrocketing content demand, DigitalGlue s creative.space h...

19/04/2025

Miri Technologies Wins Two Prestigious Awards for X510 Bo...

Network technology startup Miri Technologies Inc. capped off its tremendously successful NAB Show debut by winning two prestigious industry awards for its cutti...

19/04/2025

Tablo Adds 45 New FAST Channels From Warner Bros. Discovery

CINCINNATI Scripp's Nuvyyo USA has concluded a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring 45 FAST channels to Nuvyyo's Tablo TV device....

19/04/2025

Court Overrules FCC's $57 Million Fine Against AT&T

In a ruling that could have broader implications on the legality of regulatory agencies levying fines through administrative proceedings, the 5th U.S. Circuit C...

19/04/2025

FCC Chair Carr Blasts Comcast Over MSNBC Coverage

WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr has blasted Comcast over MSNBC's coverage of the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia in a so...

19/04/2025

Berklee NYC and NYC Media Launch Season 3 of Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC

Berklee NYC and NYC Media Launch Season 3 of Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC This season features faculty member Arun Pandian as the new host and interviews ...

18/04/2025

Everyone Is Cordially Invited to Celebrate Queer Joy in The Wedding Banquet

Director Andrew Ahn, alongside actors Youn Yuh-jung and Joan Chen, takes a photo of the audience after the premiere of his film The Wedding Banquet at Eccles ...

18/04/2025

U.S. Judge Rules Google Illegally Monopolized Ad Technologies

In a ruling that could have a major impact on the digital advertising market, a federal judge has ruled that Google has monopolized some types of advertising te...

18/04/2025

TV News Outlets See March Spike in Social Media Usage

Broadcast and cable TV news outlets saw strong social media growth in March, according to new data from the social video analytics company Tubular Labs ....

18/04/2025

Berklee Student Yukai Yang Named 2025 Yamaha Young Performing Artist

Berklee Student Yukai Yang Named 2025 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The drummer secured a spot among the elite winners in this years competition. By Maddie...

18/04/2025

Boston Conservatory Alums Bring Real Women Have Curves to Broadway

Boston Conservatory Alums Bring Real Women Have Curves to Broadway The Latin American immigrant community takes center stage in a new musical featuring Tatian...

18/04/2025

UPDATED: Broadcasters Urge FCC to Hit the Delete Button on Antiquated Regs

WASHINGTON The FCC's call for public comments and suggestions on outdated regulations that it should be eliminated, has prompted a slew of fillings from bro...

18/04/2025

Federal Judge Rules Google Illegally Monopolized Ad Technologies

In a ruling that could have a major impact on the digital advertising market, a federal judge has ruled that Google has monopolized some types of advertising te...

18/04/2025

AMS, VideoAmp Collaborate on Cross-Channel Targeting and Measurement

PEARL RIVER, N.Y. Global media solutions company Active Media Services (AMS) has formed a new relationship with VideoAmp, a measurement company for linear TV, c...

18/04/2025

Netflix Reports Strong Q1 Revenue, Operating Income

Netflix reported generally positive results for first-quarter 2025, with revenue up 13% year-over-year to $10.543 billion and operating income growing by 27% to...

18/04/2025

NHL Playoffs 2025: TNT Sports Hits the Road for Onsite Productions With Mobile Units from NEP Group, Game Creek Video

NHL Playoffs 2025: TNT Sports Hits the Road for Onsite Productions With Mobile U...

18/04/2025

EVS's Sbastien Verlaine on U.S. Expansion, Next-Generation Products

EVSs S bastien Verlaine on U.S. Expansion, Next-Generation Products Beyond replay, offerings also target asset management and media infrastructure By Ken Kersc...

18/04/2025

ESPN Unleashes 4DREPLAY as NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships Hit ABC

ESPN Unleashes 4DREPLAY as NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships Hit ABC Men's championships to follow Saturday night on ESPN2 By Brandon Costa, Direct...

18/04/2025

Visualizing Victory: The Latest in AR, XR, and Virtual Production in Live Sports

Visualizing Victory: The Latest in AR, XR, and Virtual Production in Live Sports This panel discussion featured leaders from ESPN, CBS Sports, Warner Bros. Disc...

18/04/2025

NHL Playoffs 2025: With 16 Games in First Six Days, ESPN Deploys Variety of Remote-Production Models in U.S., Canada

NHL Playoffs 2025: With 16 Games in First Six Days, ESPN Deploys Variety of Remo...

17/04/2025

The Ugly Stepsister: A Cinderella Body Horror Story That Will Leave a Crowd in Shambles

Emilie Blichfeldt attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of The Ugly ...

17/04/2025

Why Resilient GPS (R-GPS) Matters for US Military Superiority: We Must Address GPS Vulnerabilities

R-GPS gives warfighters a decisive battlefield advantage by punching through adv...

17/04/2025

What NAB told us about the future of media tech

This year's NAB Show in Las Vegas marked a noticeable shift in the priorities of media and broadcast organisations. Gone are the days of chasing flashy, or ...

17/04/2025

Changing Sustainable Production in Wales and Beyond

class=attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail f-align-center alt= decoding=async data-lazy-srcset=https://www.antonbauer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Amy-Daniel-1...

17/04/2025

Roku to Collaborate with Adobe on Real-Time Customer Data

SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku and Adobe have announced that they are collaborating on a real time data platform made possible by a a new integration of the Roku Data C...

17/04/2025

IAB: Digital Ad Revenue Surges 14.9% YoY to $259 Billion in 2024

NEW YORK Internet advertising revenues demonstrated strong growth in 2024, increasing 14.9% year-over-year to $258.6 billion, according to the IAB Internet Adv...

17/04/2025

SDVI Earns Both Product and Project of the Year Awards at 2025 NAB Show

SDVI Earns Both Product and Project of the Year Awards at 2025 NAB Show Brie Clayton April 17, 2025 0 Comments Left to right, Geoff Stedman, CMO, SDVI...

17/04/2025

Singapore Polytechnic Readies Aspiring AV Professionals for Live IP Productions with AJA

Singapore Polytechnic Readies Aspiring AV Professionals for Live IP Productions ...

17/04/2025

Calrec Wins 2025 NAB Show Product of the Year Award for True Control 2.0

Calrec Wins 2025 NAB Show Product of the Year Award for True Control 2.0 Brie Clayton April 17, 2025 0 Comments Image: The Calrec True Control 2.o on ...

17/04/2025

In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward

In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward From mood boards to live demos, the alumni band gave students an exclusive look at the process behin...

17/04/2025

MyFree DirecTV Adds 8 NBCU Channels

DirecTV's free streaming service MyFree DirecTV has just added another eight channels from NBCUniversal....

17/04/2025

GameChanger Launches in the U.S.

LOS ANGELES The virtual production company GameChanger has announced that it is expanding its global footprint by bringing its virtual production technology to ...

17/04/2025

IBCAP Launches Automated VOD Monitoring and Takedown System

DENVER The International Broadcaster Coalition Against Piracy (IBCAP) has announced that it has developed a proprietary, automated software-based system to iden...

17/04/2025

Pixalate: Roku Continues to Dominate U.S. CTV Device Market

Pixalate's new CTV Device Market Share report for Q1 2025 shows that Roku has the highest open programmatic CTV device market share in the United States, wi...

17/04/2025

Edward J. Lewis III Named Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Edward J. Lewis III Named Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Lewis has more than 20 years of industry experience, leading fundraising initiati...

17/04/2025

The Curling Group Puts On Inaugural Curling All-Star Game in Nashville

The Curling Group Puts On Inaugural Curling All-Star Game in Nashville The location in Music City is intended to broaden the sport's appeal By Dan Daley, ...

17/04/2025

Tribeca Festival 2025 Announces TV and NOW Lineup

April 17th, 2025 Press Materials Available Here Tribeca Festival 2025 Announces TV & NOW Lineup World Premieres and Exclusive Cast Panels with Apple TV '...

17/04/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Cisco's Bryan Bedford on Providing End-to-End Support for Clients, How Industry Trends Impact Workflows

SVG Sit-Down: Cisco's Bryan Bedford on Providing End-to-End Support for Clie...