Motorola's pioneering spirit has proven to be a fundamental part of the evolution of the mobile industry to what it is today. From the first marketable 5G smartphone to the first foldable smartphone, we have a rich legacy in rewriting the way people access and experience innovation. But perhaps the most defining moment in the history of mobile technology came exactly 50 years ago, on April 3, 1973, when Martin Cooper, former vice president and chief innovation officer at Motorola, used the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X to make the world's first commercial mobile phone call from New York's Sixth Avenue. It was a pivotal moment for society, as we no longer had to wait for a landline or for people to call us to make sure we didn't miss a call. It meant we could communicate with anyone, at any time, from anywhere.

“When I made the first public call with a portable mobile phone on April 3, 1973, I knew it was just the beginning; that Motorola and the mobile phone industry were starting a revolution in personal communications,” says Martin Cooper. "Since then, there have been a large number of fundamental innovations, many of them created by Motorola. The first fifty years were just a warm-up exercise. There will be many more exciting advances that will transform humanity."

50 years later, we are proud to say that Motorola has continued to be at the forefront of other groundbreaking technologies, patents and innovations that have shaped the world as we know it. We've come a long way since the launch of the DynaTAC 8000X, which was over 30cm long and weighed almost 1kg at the time. Examples include the original RAZR V3, a device that was released in the early 2000s, a time when mobile phone design had become predictable. The RAZR V3, popular for its unique folding design and slim look, remains an iconic piece of technology around the world today.

Recently, on April 3, 2019, the moto z3 combined with the moto modTM 5G became the first commercially available smartphone in the world to connect to 5G. Since then, we have been determined to democratize 5G technology by bringing ultra-fast 5G speeds to the mid-range segment through our moto g family.

We have also been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of alternative designs. In 2019, we launched the world's first foldable smartphone, the Motorola Razr, giving consumers portability without sacrificing the screen capabilities of a full-size smartphone. We've also introduced innovations like the neckband, a 5G wearable device that redefines the role of the smartphone by allowing you to display content on more immersive screens around you. And, most recently, we introduced a rollable smartphone. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue testing the limits of mobile technology and look forward to sharing more in this space.