Motorola phones through the years: The best and the worst, in pictures (2023)

The company behindthe 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 with rotating keyboards, Motorola has dabbled in everything.

Since 1983, when the Dynatac 8000x - aka the granddaddy 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?

• Best smartphone: We test, rate and rank the top mobile phones available to buy

Motorola DynaTAC (1983)

The Motorola DynaTAC commercially available cell phone. An icon of the 1980s.

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)

This was not only one of the smallest, but one of the most popular phones of the 1980s and 1990s.

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)

The StarTAC was one of the first mobile phones to gain widespread adoption.

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)

This holds of the title of being one of the first PAYG (pay-as-you-go) phones available in the late 1990s.

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 seemingly had it all. it was a phone, two-way radio, pager, web browser and more.

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 aptly named Timeport is a phone from a bi-gone era. complete with display that wasn't fully colour but included classic greens, blues and reds of the time.

The Motorola Timeport is one of several candybarphones 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. TheTimeport made its name by working on GSM 900MHz,1800MHz and1900MHz networks meaning it could work in the UK, most of Europe and the United States too. This phone was theexecutive's phone of choice at the time.

Motorola V100 (1999)

V100 is said to have kick-started the two-way messaging craze.

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)

This was the first GPRS cellular phone. It seems that Motorola pulled off many firsts in its time.

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)

See Also

These were the classic flip phones that everyone used (and we miss them)Motorola History Milestones

The V70 was a quirky device complete with swiveling circular monochrome panel, backlit keyboard and even a WAP browser. It was a marvel at the time.

The V70 certainly sported a pretty cool look. This instantly recognisable design was considereda fashion phone back in its day.

A swiveling 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)

This phone was customisable with swappable back and front plates. Which made it fairly unique at the time.

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 was a cheap and cheerful phone that turned into Motorola’s third highest-selling cellphone of all time.

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. TheMotorola 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)

This phone had it all - a digital camera, video player, MP3 player, speakerphone, multimedia messaging and even Bluetooth technology.A marvel at the time.

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.

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 fancydisplay capable of supporting up to 65,000 colours. A classic flip phone loved by many.

Motorola RAZR (2004)

Who doesn't have fond memories of the Motorola RAZR? A sleekly designed phone that easily stood out from the competition.

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 beingmarketed as an exclusive fashion phone. The RAZR provedwildly successful and Motorola sold over 50 million units by 2006.

Motorola PEBL (2005)

A classic clam-shell mobile phone that had a whopping 5 megabytes of memory and even sported a VGA camera.

The Motorola PEBL was a classic clam-shell mobile phone that could be snapped open with one hand and featureda 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)

This one saw Motorola teaming up with Apple to create a brand new device that would be the first phone to support iTunes syncing.

TheMotorola 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 lackluster sales.

Motorola Krzr K1 (2006)

As a clamshell/flip phone, the KRZRwas 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 a2-megapixel camera, anMP3 player and a snazzy design. We thought it was certainly a safe upgrade from the RAZR, but hardly a radical and exciting departure.

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 analternative 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)

TheMotorola SLVR L6 was ideal forthe fashionista on a budget. It wasn't perfect, but we liked it.

Known for its thin design, the L6 held the title of the thinnest mobile phone in the UK before the Samsung P300 came along. TheMotorola SLVR L6 was ideal forthe fashionista on a budget (as we put it in 2006). It had a few things going for it, but wasn't without its flaws.

Motorola Rizr Z8 (2007)

TheMotorola Rizr Z8 featured an incredibly funky design for the time.

We enjoyed thetactile feel and the classic Motorola materials combined with the kick-slider design. While other phones of the time were focused on music, the Motorola Rizr Z8 was pitched as a video device. A screen that supported16 million colours and 30fps were the other highlights, as were theHSDPA connectivity, stereo Bluetooth, 2-megapixel camera and an expandable microSD slot.

Motorola ROKR E8 (2008)

The Motorola Rokr E8 wanted to be everyone's music player and that much was clear from thefour-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.

Motorola AURA (2008)

Made from stainless steel, theMotorola Aura boasted moving cogs and acircular screenprotected by a Swiss-made lens. It also came with a massive price tag.

TheMotorola 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, theMotorola Aura also boasted moving cogs and acircular screenprotected by a Swiss-made lens. This phone was well and truly about looks over functionality. NoWi-Fi, 3G or microSD card slot and certainly no apps to speak of, but it did look pretty special.

Motorola ZN5 (2008)

TheMotorola ZN5 saw Motorola pushing hard toregain 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.

Motorola Droid (2009)

The Motorola Droid helped kickstart the popularity of Android and the astronomical growth that followed.

The Motorola Droid was a multimedia-enabled smartphone that ranGoogle's Android operating system.

The Droid launched with AndroidEclair (Android 2.0) and helpedkick off one of the most successful mobile franchises in the world. At the time, we thought theMotorola Droid was a fantastic device offering a state-of-the-art experience withflawless telephone reception to boot. It was launched as the Motorola Milestone in other regions.

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 an8-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.

Motorola MING A1680 (2011)

The Motorola Ming was a mobile phone sold inHong Kong and China only. It was part of a series of devices with interesting specifications, this model included a transparentclamshell cover and stylus pen. Certainly quirky.

Motorola ATRIX 4G (2011)

This device is ultimately remembered for its gimmicky laptop dock.

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. TheMotorola ATRIX was likely the forefather of the current Moto Mods and showed that Motorola wasn't afraid to innovate.

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx (2012)

Resurrecting the Razr series, the Maxx had a long-lasting battery life and impressive Smart Actions software. TheMotorola 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.

Motorola Droid 4 (2012)

The Droid 4 is considered one of the last great QWERTY smartphones.

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 wasMotorola'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 toMoto Maker.

Moto G (2013)

The Moto G started a trend of affordable Android phones available to the wider masses.

The Moto G launched in 2013 wanting to do something that other smartphones didn't do - bring all that power to emerging markets. The Moto G started a trend, wanting to wipe-out feature phones and put Android in the pockets of those who previously couldn't afford to own a smartphone. It kickstarted a great family of Moto phones that's still running today - and in many cases, still offers a great experience at the affordable end of the market.

Nexus 6 (2014)

TheNexus 6 saw Motorola going large with a Nexus device that moved into thephablet 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 6followed the design of the Moto X and it looked really good for it too. We thought the Nexus 6 hadplenty of power, good all-round performance and a solid build backed by an attractive design.

Moto z and Moto Mods (2016)

The Moto Z was all about mods, mods and more modes. Including everything from improved cameras to speakers and more.

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 orderto accessorise your smartphone. The Moto Z wasn't a flagship device, but it was certainly interesting - and Moto Mods continued well beyond the original phone.

Read the review:Motorola Moto Z review: A modular muddle

Motorola Razr (2019)

The Razr is back for 2019 and this time it's a vision of the future. The 2004 icon has been reinvented with a folding display, seeing a familiar clamshell design that effectively lets you fold your phone in half and slip it into your pocket. It's already attracting a lot of attention - as will the $1500 price. It's going to be available in early 2020 on Verizon and EE in the UK, pre-orders are open.

• Motorola Razr (2020) review: Flip out over the 5G follow-up

Moto G9 Power

With the Moto G9 Power, Motorola went against the norm and added a whopping battery into its phone that other flagship phones would baulk at. We found this phone could easily go two days before needing a charge as a result. On its own, that's one heck of a selling point,

Other highlights included a 64-megapixel camera and an affordable price tag too. It might not be as fancy as other phones, but we thought it was a great option if you wanted something capable of lasting and lasting.

• Moto G9 Power review: Big battery on a budget

Moto Edge 20

We thought the Moto Edge 20 was a refreshing mid-range choice with a clear and colourful screen and a lot of strengths for the pricepoint.

We thought the Moto Edge 20 was a refreshing mid-range choice with a clear and colourful screen and a lot of strengths for the pricepoint. It also offered an untainted Android experience that you don't often find elsewhere, which makes it highly appealing.