Motorola bermula sebagai Galvin Manufacturing Corporation pada tahun 1928. Nama Motorola mula digunakan pada tahun 1947, namun perkataan ini telah digunakan sebagai satu tanda perdagangan sejak zaman 1930-an. Pengasas Paul Galvin mulakan nama Motorola semasa syarikat ini mula menghasilkan radio kereta. Beliau mencipta nama “Motorola” untuk mencadangkan bunyi dalam gerakan (daripada “motor” dan akhiran “ola” yang popular ketika itu). Jenama Motorola menjadi begitu terkenal sampai Galvin Manufacturing Corporation menukarkan namanya kepada Motorola, Inc.[1]Many of Motorola's products have been radio-related, starting with a battery eliminator for radios, through the first walkie-talkie in the world, defense electronics, cellular infrastructure equipment, and mobile phone manufacturing. The company was also strong in semiconductor technology, including integrated circuits used in computers. Motorola has been the main supplier for the microprocessors used in Commodore Amiga, Apple Macintosh and Power Macintosh personal computers. The chip used in the latter computers, the PowerPC family, was developed with IBM and in a partnership with Apple (known as the AIM alliance). Motorola also has a diverse line of communication products, including satellite systems, digital cable boxes and modems.