Android has seen numerous manufacturers come and go through the years, however one title that has remained a continuing presence is Motorola. The corporate has been round because the early days of Android (and cell phones normally), and it’s nonetheless right here at present regardless of a number of shifts in possession and technique through the years.
For a short second, Motorola even appeared prefer it might significantly problem Samsung’s dominance within the Android house. So, what occurred—and the way did Motorola find yourself the place it’s at present?
Motorola was the cellphone big that helped form Android within the early days
Motorola as soon as dominated the cell world
Lengthy earlier than smartphones took over, Motorola was probably the most in style cellphone manufacturers on the planet. In truth, Motorola is behind the DynaTAC 8000X, which was the primary commercially out there cellphone. You is perhaps too younger to do not forget that one, however you actually keep in mind the Motorola Razr line of flip telephones, which had been the good strategy to keep in contact earlier than the primary iPhone reshaped all the business in 2007—and it’s this contemporary Motorola lately that I wish to concentrate on at present.
Motorola rapidly tailored by shifting over to Android, and one of many firm’s largest hits in that period was the Motorola Droid, which was launched in late 2009. The Droid mixed a 3.7-inch (9.4 cm) touchscreen show with a sliding bodily keyboard that was in style in telephones from that period (keep in mind the BlackBerry?). Because of the profitable advertising marketing campaign run by Verizon and Motorola, it was capable of lastly deliver Android as an working system into the mainstream and have become the primary actual “menace” towards the already dominant iPhone.
The subsequent yr’s Droid X ditched the bodily keyboard and changed it with a good bigger 4.3-inch (10.9 cm) display, which was thought of completely huge in 2010. Even the Galaxy S’s 4-inch (10.2 cm) display appeared tiny subsequent to this one. In the event you wished a futuristic-looking cellphone, the Droid X was the cellphone to get.
Sadly, regardless of the relative success of the early Motorola Android telephones, the corporate was nonetheless essentially struggling. Their telephones had been unique to Verizon, which locked many potential patrons out as shoppers more and more gravitated towards Samsung’s telephones as an alternative. Additionally, some Motorola telephones from this period ran a heavy, clunky pores and skin referred to as Motoblur, which broken its fame amongst Android fans who wished a clear, near-stock expertise.
By 2011, a struggling Motorola Inc. determined to separate the corporate into two elements: the enterprise-focused Motorola Options and the patron electronics arm Motorola Mobility, which is the aspect of the legacy I’ll concentrate on all through the remainder of this text.
Motorola’s golden period is now a distant reminiscence
Motorola made a few of the greatest smartphones within the mid-2010s
In the event you had been following tech within the early 2010s, you in all probability keep in mind Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in 2012. Google primarily did this to amass Motorola’s intensive patent portfolio to be able to defend Android from patent infringement lawsuits from different tech giants like Apple and Microsoft.
Motorola underwent a radical transformation underneath Google’s temporary management, and in some ways, it was for the higher.
You’ll be able to see it within the telephones that got here out throughout this period. This was the golden age of smartphones, outlined by various design philosophies and a willingness to experiment with new options. Motorola was one of many first manufacturers to totally embrace a inventory Android expertise, which immediately clicked with fans.
The model began to develop its personal recognizable design language, that includes a dimpled “M” brand on the again, skinny entrance bezels, and infrequently front-facing stereo audio system that improved gaming and media playback. The telephones additionally had a rounded design that match comfortably within the hand, whilst a lot of them leaned towards the bigger aspect. Motorola additionally led the business with cool and unconventional supplies like ballistic nylon, Kevlar, leather-based, and glass, used for again covers as an alternative of normal plastic or glass finishes.
We noticed a few of the greatest Android smartphones come out of Motorola throughout this period: the long-lasting Moto G that redefined the price range market, the flagship Moto X collection with sturdy construct high quality, and the Nexus 6, which marked the height of Google and Motorola’s collaboration earlier than the corporate was bought off to Lenovo.
Certainly one of my private favourite fashions from this period was the 2014 Motorola Droid Turbo, which I purchased after seeing Linus Tech Suggestions use it as his each day driver all through a lot of 2015. The cellphone had an extremely sturdy design, a 1440p show, an enormous-at-the-time 3900mAh battery, a flagship Snapdragon 805 processor, and 3GB of RAM when many flagships just like the Galaxy S5 nonetheless solely had 2GB.
Motorola finally realized it could not proceed chasing flagships
Stepping again from the highest tier made sense
Motorola misplaced quite a lot of its momentum when Lenovo acquired the corporate in 2014. The primary few telephones that got here out had been nonetheless following the formulation established within the Google period, however what adopted was an identification disaster. Motorola doubled down on the G and E collection of ultra-cheap price range telephones, which had been nonetheless promoting okay, however the actual meat of the market—that are at all times the flagships—was beginning to wrestle.
Lenovo couldn’t determine what to do with the model—at first, it wished to maintain the “Moto” title on the flagships whereas mixing the price range fashions into Lenovo’s present Vibe branding, and there was even a brief interval when all Motorola telephones had been rebranded as Moto by Lenovo. Fortuitously, that was later remedied in 2017, when Lenovo determined to protect Motorola’s legacy by persevering with to promote telephones underneath the unique model title.
The actual drawback wasn’t the branding, although—it was the course of Motorola’s flagship technique. This was completely illustrated by the 2016 Moto Z collection, which leaned closely on a first-party equipment gimmick within the type of “Moto Mods.”
You can add issues like a JBL speaker or mini projector, which appeared like a cool thought for fans, however in actuality, most customers didn’t actually care about these costly add-ons. The Moto X4 was an try and revive a once-beloved flagship line, however in actuality, it ended up being little greater than one other midrange cellphone with flagship branding.
16 years ago, Google launched one of the most important phones in Android history
And it planted the seeds for the Pixel collection.
Motorola lastly discovered its identification, however there’s one massive drawback
A transparent course held again by a well-recognized difficulty
Though Motorola struggled to promote its flagship telephones, gross sales remained sturdy within the price range and mid-range segments. In truth, gross sales doubled between 2020 and 2024, a interval by which Motorola doubled down on its concentrate on inexpensive, value-driven smartphones. Even the foldable Razr lineup has constructed a cult following amongst customers who like compact folding telephones just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip however need one thing extra inexpensive.
The actual drawback throughout all the Motorola lineup, together with its flagships, is the shortage of software program assist. Whereas the software program itself has usually been clear, Motorola has historically been fast to desert its units after only a yr or two of updates—within the case of ultra-budget telephones, even much less.
In the event you solely have $300 to spend on a cellphone, it’s exhausting to suggest Motorola over a refurbished Samsung or Pixel that can proceed receiving updates for longer than a brand-new Motorola machine—regardless that Motorola telephones at present usually supply a few of the most attention-grabbing {hardware} and design decisions for the worth.
I don’t care if my phone gets long-term updates
I want a superb cellphone at present, not updates seven years from now.
Motorola is perhaps prepared for a flagship comeback
I am all right here for it
Regardless that Motorola has struggled up to now, the model is way from gone. In truth, it held a market share of around 12% in the US all through 2025, which is a good determine when you think about Samsung’s 24% market share. The model has already surpassed Google and all different Android manufacturers (other than Samsung) on this house, proving that it nonetheless has actual weight available in the market regardless of its difficult historical past.
That momentum, mixed with its current return to flagship territory, means that Motorola may very well be getting into a brand new part. The Motorola Signature delivers fashionable high-end {hardware}, like a 165Hz show, as much as 16GB of RAM, and a 5,200 mAh silicon-carbon battery in a novel, slim design. Most significantly, it lastly fixes Motorola’s long-standing weak point with 7 years of promised main Android updates. If that dedication holds true and carries throughout the broader lineup, I can see Motorola as soon as once more turning into a severe challenger within the wider Android house.
The phone I most want to see is from an underdog nobody talks about
Typically the most effective telephones by no means win awards.
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