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Motorola Talkabout

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Talkabout logo
Talkabout T42 radio (PMR446 network), released c. 2020

The Motorola Talkabout (stylized TALKABOUT), also sold as Motorola TLKR in some regions, are a line of consumer-oriented walkie-talkies produced by Motorola (later Motorola Solutions) since 1997. Operating on license-free networks and designed for families and recreational activities, they have been one of the most successful product lines of two-way radios.[1] It is currently the only consumer-oriented product line of Motorola Solutions; other Motorola consumer products are offered by Motorola Mobility following the split of Motorola Inc. in 2011.

Product history

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The TalkAbout line was first released in 1997 targeting families and young buyers with two-way radios. Designed to work on the Family Radio Service (FRS) or PMR446, it was initially offered in a regular TalkAbout model[2] and a Talkabout Plus model.[3] In July 1998, the TalkAbout SLK series were announced, also for the FRS.[4] In March 1999, the TalkAbout 200 was launched. These would also launch in European territories being able to operate freely on the selected frequencies.[5]

TA280 radio (for FRS network), released c. 1999

The Talkabout 250 became one of the most famed walkie talkies during the boom of the walkie-talkie in the late 1990s, before the expansion of cell phones.[6][7]

In September 1999, Motorola introduced the TalkAbout T289, with advertized new features being a channel busy indicator and hands-free use.[8] In May 2000, FRS two ray radios FR50 and FR60 were launched.[9]

On August 1, 2000, Motorola introduced the TalkAbout T6300 rugged two-way radio series.[10] It has a digital compass, altimeter, barometer, clock, alarm, timer, and gets national weather alerts from NOAA.[11]

Motorola Talkabout T5100 radio (FRS network), released c. 2007

Motorola also released a model that works with Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology that was released in 2007.[12]

In 2011, the fully waterproof MS350R was introduced.[13] In 2013, Motorola launched the Talkabout MU350R, the first consumer FRS/GMRS radio with Bluetooth. On the other hands, the MG series (MG160A and MG167A) became new entry-level radios with a range of 16 miles and coming in bright colors.[14][15] In October 2014, Motorola Solutions announced that the Talkabout will begin selling in Latin American markets.[16]

Talkabout T82 was released in July 2017 replacing the Motorola TLKR T80.[17] In October 2018, the Talkabout T800 was announced as the first Talkabout walkie-talkie with a smartphone app which connects via Bluetooth and effectively uses the T800 as a modem to send messages and locations over the radio frequencies while outside a cellular zone.[18]

In 2025, ZDNet called the Motorola Talkabout T800 the "best overall walkie-talkie", and noted the 35 miles long range, long battery life, and app connection.[19]

Non-radio products

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Motorola Talkabout T180 GSM cell phone from 2000

In its earlier years, Motorola also used the brand name on some consumer pagers and cell phones. In 1999 it launched the TalkAbout T340, a small text pager, and the T8090/T8097 dual mode TDMA phones and T8160/T8167 CDMA phones, based on the StarTAC.[8]

In June 2000, Motorola released the Talkabout T900, their first two-way messaging product. These clamshell style e-mail pagers were sold for $99 after a $50 rebate and were similar to the BlackBerry Inter@ctive Pager, but targeted a young audience and came in various colors.[20][21][22][23] In 2001 in a partnership with Microsoft, MSN services like Hotmail became available on the Talkabout T900.[24] By July 2001, 1 million T900 pagers had been sold.[25]

References

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  1. ↑ "Consumer Electronics Timeline - IEEE Spectrum". spectrum.ieee.org. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Motorola TalkAbout Radios: TalkAbout Features". June 17, 1997. Archived from the original on June 17, 1997. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Motorola TalkAbout Radios: TalkAbout Plus Features". June 17, 1997. Archived from the original on June 17, 1997. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ "MOTOROLA INTRODUCES NEWEST MEMBER OF TALKABOUT FAMILY". March 24, 2000. Archived from the original on March 24, 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  5. ↑ "TALKABOUT 200 TWO-WAY RADIO FROM MOTOROLA". April 18, 2000. Archived from the original on April 18, 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  6. ↑ "The Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame: Motorola T250 Talkabout Walkie-Talkies - IEEE Spectrum". spectrum.ieee.org. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  7. ↑ Street Journal, Evan RamstadStaff Reporter of The Wall (October 1, 1999). "Walkie-Talkies Surge in Popularity, Proving They're Not Just for Kids". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  8. 1 2 "MOTOROLA UNVEILS SOMETHING TO TALKABOUT". March 4, 2000. Archived from the original on March 4, 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  9. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010211024905/http://www.motorola.ca/asp/english/press/talkabout.asp. Archived from the original on February 11, 2001. Retrieved May 25, 2025. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ "Motorola Investor Relations". November 20, 2000. Archived from the original on November 20, 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Motorola Consumer Catalog: Phones". November 10, 2000. Archived from the original on November 10, 2000. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  12. ↑ Biersdorfer, J. D. (August 9, 2007). "Walkie-Talkies for Chat and Emergency Alerts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Motorola TalkAbout MS350R Radio Product Announcement". Buy Two Way Radios. February 1, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Motorola Announces New Talkabout Radios for 2013". Buy Two Way Radios. January 18, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Motorola Solutions TALKABOUT® MG160 Consumer Radios – Perfect Stocking Stuffer for Kids - Motorola Solutions". www.motorolasolutions.com. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Motorola Solutions Introduces Talkabout™, the Radios for Family Use and Outdoor Recreational Activities - Motorola Solutions". www.motorolasolutions.com. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  17. ↑ "TALKABOUT T82: Replacement For The TLKR T80 – Radiotronics UK Blog". Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Motorola Solutions Introduces First TALKABOUT Radios with Mobile App for Ultimate Off-Grid Communications - Motorola Solutions". www.motorolasolutions.com. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  19. ↑ "The 5 best walkie-talkies of 2022". ZDNET. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  20. ↑ Pogue, David (May 17, 2001). "STATE OF THE ART; For E-Mail On the Go, Or the Sly". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  21. ↑ "BlackBerry-like device comes home". ZDNET. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  22. ↑ Writer, CBR Staff (June 3, 2001). "Motorola And Earthlink Partner To Provide E-Mail Access On The Go". Tech Monitor. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  23. ↑ Century, Douglas (January 14, 2001). "NOTICED; A World Divided Into Two-Way-Pager Camps". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  24. ↑ "CNN.com - Technology - Ballmer: Microsoft wants to be in your phone - March 22, 2001". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  25. ↑ "T900". November 19, 2001. Archived from the original on November 19, 2001. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
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