Today in 1954, Texas Instruments announced the first transistor radio, the Regency TR-1, which sold for $49.95.
The use of transistors instead of vacuum tubes as the amplifier elements meant that the device was much smaller, required far less power to operate than a tube radio, and was more resistant to physical shock.
The Regency TR-1 was the first commercially manufactured transistor radio. About 150,000 units were sold due to the novelty of its small size and portability.