Motorola is arguably the most influential brand in the early days of the entire mobile phone industry, and its most iconic models have consolidated its position in the mobile phone market and shaped the future of the industry. Flip phones once became a must-have accessory for business people and celebrities, and then the rise of smartphones saw Motorola's shift to producing cost-effective devices, laying the blueprint for the emerging mid-range smartphone market.
2022 Razr Motorcycle
After a few years of ups and downs, Motorola is getting back on track in recent years. According to the ranking of key global smartphone market manufacturers in the first quarter of 2023 released by research institute Canalys, Lenovo's Motorola mobile phone sales in the first quarter are very eye-catching: it once again entered the top five in Europe and ranked second in Latin America!
Motorola's first quarter was impressive
Although there is room for growth in China, in fact, Motorola is still very popular in mobile phone markets such as the United States and Brazil. The reason why it has achieved such excellent results is because, in some cases, Motorola is a strong alternative to a mobile phone that costs twice as much. Simply put, Motorola mobile phones are very cost-effective. With this feature, Motorola has had a great time in history.
The following eight phones represent the best that Motorola has to offer from its early years as a technology fashion leader to its re-emergence as one of the most valuable smartphone manufacturers on the market.
Moto G
Motorola's biggest advantage as a smartphone manufacturer is arguably not in making the most powerful phone on the market, but in its ability to cram a ton of features into affordable devices. The first-generation Moto G is a great example – it proved to be a powerful, durable smartphone that cost less than most of its major competitors. We were impressed with its price-performance ratio, with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor beating flagship phones released just two years ago in benchmarks.
Moto G
It also boasts impressive battery life, with more than two days to last on a single charge. However, its biggest selling point is that the 8GB version can be purchased for 179 US dollars (about 1246 yuan), and the 16GB version can be purchased for 199 US dollars (about 1385 yuan). Its performance, build quality, and impressive affordability prove that Motorola is a force to be reckoned with in the low- to mid-range Android market, especially the G series, which has been a highlight of the brand for years.
Motorola Razr V3
The Razr V3 started the flip phone bandwagon, initially expected to sell 800,000 units, but later sold more than 100 million. It was unlike anything Motorola had produced before – it was stylish, extremely futuristic, and most importantly, in its time, very thin. By making celebrities early adopters, Motorola managed to make the Razr a must-have device at the time, although the introduction of the iPhone in 2007 shortened the Razr's reign.
Motorola Razr V3
It's worth mentioning that its unique design meant that some compromises had to be made to accommodate its hardware, with the thick "chin" at the bottom of the phone housing the antenna to make the flip screen as thin as possible. Its aluminum body also made it feel more high-end than other phones of the era, and the backlit keyboard made it futuristic than any phone that came before it. In a way, the Razr became an iconic image of Motorola in the minds of a generation of mobile phone buyers, and it made a lasting impression even after the company's transformation into a smartphone maker.
Moto Z2 Play
It may not be the best-selling product, but the Moto Z2 Play takes full advantage of Motorola's innovative Moto Mods system, which has surprisingly won over users. In particular, the JBL SoundBoost 2 is a very welcome accessory addition that turns the Z2 Play into a compact, portable speaker.
Moto Z2 Play
The idea of Moto Mods is to develop a series of officially supported accessories to enhance the functionality of Motorola smartphones. This is similar to the idea of a "modular" smartphone, except that the Mods are connected by magnets mounted on the back of the phone. The Z2 Play is one of the best Motorola smartphones to apply this idea. Even without Mods, though, the Z2 Play is excellent.
Motorola StarTAC
StarTAC was the first-ever flip phone, launched in 1996 and fueled the popularity of mobile phones in the United States. It retailed for $1,000 (about 7,000 yuan) when it was released, but it was unlike anything before it — small, lightweight, and easy to carry. Motorola claims it can be worn "as a stylish accessory," and it's equipped with cutting-edge vibration features that allow users to answer calls without the need for a ringtone.
Motorola StarTAC
The phone has a screen size of just 1.75 inches, and the antenna sticks out from the back to hide when not in use. It weighs just 3.1 ounces (about 88g), which is lighter than any other similar phone, which means it can be worn around a belt, in a handbag, or in a pocket — a revolution at the time. StarTAC's success helped set the blueprint for other phone makers to follow suit, until Motorola's own Razr flip phone came along and changed the industry again.
Moto Edge(2022)
Moto Edge (2022) was named the "King of Mid-range Mobile Phones" by foreign media. The machine beats its main competitor Google Pixel 6a in terms of software, and with a 144Hz OLED screen and wireless charging, the price of this phone is impressive.
Moto Edge (2022)
It also continues Motorola's tradition of innovation with the addition of Ready For, which allows you to turn your smartphone into a laptop by connecting a monitor and keyboard.
Moto X (2014)
After a dismal start to the first-generation Moto X, the 2014 version of the Motorola flagship strikes just the right balance between hardware, design, and attractive price. It addresses many of the criticisms consumers have made about its predecessor, featuring a more premium metal construction and a vastly improved 1080P 5.2-inch AMOLED display. Its software is closer to regular Android than many of its competitors.
Moto X
It also includes a number of new and improved features, including Moto Display and Moto Voice, an improved version of Google Assistant that allows users to do everything from posting on Facebook to finding YouTube videos to watch, all without touching a phone. Despite several previous attempts at less success, the Moto X (2014) proved that Motorola can actually make a powerful, desirable flagship phone that can compete with the well-known brands in the market and even surpass them in some ways. This phone was the most customizable phone on the market at the time, and it was arguably the best Android phone in the hand.
Moto G200 5G
Released in late 2021, the Moto G200 5G is exactly what one would expect from a Motorola phone: power, an attractive design, and an attractive and affordable price. It targets the Pixel 6, which in some ways offers better value than its Google-branded rivals. It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ mobile platform, a 144Hz 6.8-inch screen, and a 108-megapixel main camera – all of which wouldn't look out of place on the latest flagships on the market at the time.
Moto G200 5G
To keep the price reasonable, Motorola only offers one memory configuration with 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM. Its 16-megapixel front camera is also slightly less functional than many of its competitors, but its rear triple camera setup makes up for it. It is also one of the fastest charging flagships, and its 5000mAh battery supports 33W fast charging.
Moto Razr (2022)
The 2019 Razr foldable smartphone brings back one of Motorola's most famous series, but it ran into quite a few initial problems in the first generation. In particular, it was surpassed by the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, which launched a few months later. However, the 2022 Razr is a more competitive smartphone with the flagship Snapdragon mobile platform and an excellent OLED screen. However, it is not available in the United States. American technology media SlashGear commented on this: "This is a huge regret, because it means that American consumers are missing out on one of the best Motorola phones in recent years.
2022 Moto Razr
The Razr 2022 features the iconic design of the original Razr V3 and has been updated for modern smartphone users, albeit without the latest generation of "chins." Thanks to the Snapdragon mobile platform, it is also one of the most powerful phones on the market, and the crease on the screen is almost invisible. It is cheaper than the Galaxy Z Flip, retailing for 949 pounds (about 8282 yuan) in the UK, and can even be bought at 4999 yuan in China.