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Definition: portable radio


An AM or FM radio that can be easily carried. In 1954, the first truly portable radio was the TR-1 because it was the first radio to use transistors. All other radios at the time used tubes and were considerably heavier, some weighing 15 pounds and more. Today, the portable radio is a smartphone with a radio app, many of which are available for iPhones and Androids. When iPods flourished, they were also used to receive broadcast radio. Some models had an FM tuner, while others relied on apps. See transistor radio and iPod.