Motorola's cell phone highs and lows
Remember me? I'm the StarTac.
(Credit: CNET Networks)Yesterday, Motorola laid a bit of a bombshell on the cell phone world. The company announced it was considering a "structural realignment" to rejuvenate its mobile device business. Though the company had a huge hit with its ultrathin Razr V3 in late 2004, Moto has been struggling to regain solid footing over the last couple years. It could bask in the Razr glow for only so long before customers started to demand more devices that weren't just Razr refreshes. The company's continued uneven performance eventually led to the departure of CEO Ed Zander last November. And then just last week, Moto reported an 84 percent decline in fourth-quarter profit, mostly because of sharp declines in its handset business.
More of the same?
(Credit: CNET Networks)So as Wall Street and the company's management ponder a spin-off, it's important to remember the strong contributions Moto made to cell phone technology. Besides the Razr, the compnay had a number of hits. There was the StarTac, otherwise known as the device that gave us the flip phone. The ubiquitous V60 and the V70 swivel handset. Just like every other company, Moto had its share of duds as well. So join us as we take a walk down memory lane. Our slide show brings you a few of the best and worst of Motorola (with a few average models in between). Be sure to let us know which handsets you loved and loathed, and let is know which models we missed.
Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry. E-mail Kent.
