Radios
The nine coolest radio devices

Don’t radios all look more or less the same? Quite the contrary, as the history of the radio goes to show: a look back at its many past permutations reveals some remarkable contraptions whose designs were often way ahead of their time.

By Johannes Zeller

#1 Toot-a-Loop: The Forerunner of the Smartwatch

Toot-a-Loop: The forerunner of the smartwatch | © Sailko/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 The Toot-a-Loop Radio, aka Panasonic R-72, was a doughnut-shaped AM-only radio of the early 1970s that could be twisted into an “S” or wrapped round the wrist like a bracelet. It came in several different bright colours and included stickers to personalize your very own “bangle” or “wrist radio”, so it was a pleasure to use and carry around. In Australia and New Zealand, it was known as the “Sing-O-Ring” radio.

#2 Regency TR-1: The Pioneer of Portable Radios

Regency TR-1: The pioneer of portable radios | © Cmglee/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 3.0 Launched in 1954, the Regency TR-1s was the first commercially manufactured transistor radio and it ushered in the era of hand-held devices. Despite its mediocre performance, it was tremendously popular thanks to its novelty, small size and portability. It’s a collector’s item nowadays, and at the time it was a true pioneer, providing a first glimpse into the world to come of calculators, mobile phones and tablets.

#3 Sony ICF-2010: For Signals From the Other Side of the Planet

Sony ICF-2010: For signals from the other side of the planet | © picture alliance/Dorling Kindersley/Gary Ombler Does this model look familiar to you? The Sony ICF-2010 looks exactly the way you’d expect a 1980s radio to look. This portable radio was known for its good reception and versatility. With its – by the standards at the time – advanced functions such as digital frequency input, it became a favourite of shortwave listeners, who could receive newscasts from all over the world. 

#4 Braun T3: Minimalist Post-War Design

Braun T3: Minimalist post-war design | © Dieter Rams / Fair use The Braun T3 pocket radio, designed by Dieter Rams, is a prime example of minimalist design and functionality. With its compact rectangular shape and intuitive clear-cut control panel, it defined a new kind of radio design in the late 1950s. To this day, it’s considered an icon of industrial design, on which the subsequent design of the Apple iPod was based.

#5 Bang & Olufsen Beolit 39: Scandinavian Design at its Best

Bang & Olufsen Beolit 39: Scandinavian design at its best | © Theredmonkey/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA-3.0/ The Bang & Olufsen Beolit 39 radio, a paragon of 1930s Scandinavian design, delighted buyers with its handbag aesthetic and state-of-the-art technology. Made entirely out of Bakelite, a new material at the time, it was the forerunner of the Beolit 600 in the 1970s, which likewise caught on thanks to its good sound and elegant design.

#6 Olimpik-401: The Soviet Walkman

Olimpik-401: The Soviet Walkman | CC0-1.0 The Olimpik-401 was a big hit in the former Soviet Union. The first models, which came out in 1977, made it possible for people to listen to music on the go, which gave them a newfound sense of liberty and mobility. This portable radio had a huge impact on Soviet pop culture and paved the way for subsequent portable audio players like the Walkman.

#7 Philco Predicta: TV and Radio Rolled Into One

Philco Predicta: TV and radio rolled into one | © SA-3.0/The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis The Philco Predicta of 1959, an American-made TV set with a built-in radio, was way ahead of its time with its futuristic design: for the first time ever, the screen was separate from the receiver and its corners rounded rather than angular. The Philco Predicta’s fame was short-lived, however, for the black-and-white TV set was soon eclipsed by the advent of colour TV.

#8 Majestic Portable Radio: The “Mighty Monarch of the Air”

Majestic Portable Radio: the “Mighty Monarch of the Air” | © France1978/Wikipedia/CC-BY-SA-2.0 The Majestic Portable Radio of 1947 was a popular high-end portable radio touted as the “Mighty Monarch of the Air”. With its remarkable, compact, user-friendly design and its clear sound, it became a symbol of post-war technological progress and remains a coveted collector’s item to this day.

#9 Panasonic Panapet: A Radio on a Chain

Panasonic Panapet: A radio on a chain | © France1978/Wikipedia/CC-BY-SA-2.0 The Panapet Radio is a novelty radio made by Panasonic in the early 1970s for the World Expo in Osaka. It was famous for its unique ball-and-chain design, which in our day and age may call to mind a Poké Ball.