# Google Is Selling Motorola to Lenovo for $3 Billion??



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 29, 2014)

A rumour that could be bollox but still if this turns out to be true: WOW!









> The New York Times is reporting that Google will sell its Mobility unit to Lenovo for $3 billion. Details are thin, but the Times says a deal should be announced shortly.
> 
> For a refresher, Google bought Motorola Mobility back in 2011 for $12.5 billion. Motorola Mobility is the part of Motorola that includes handset technology that was spun off. Google bought it and rebranded it as Motorola: a Google company.



Selling at a $9.5 billion loss?


----------



## bouncer_the_dog (Jan 29, 2014)

If they asset stripped it properly then flogging off the out of scope elements only seems sensible..


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 29, 2014)

It appears it's true and as you say they've asset stripped it, selling everything but the patents (their real reason for buying it in the first place)...so much for innovation...


----------



## weltweit (Jan 29, 2014)

Oh, and I thought the Google/Motorola economy smartphone was sounding interesting .....

Is there any evidence this story is true?


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 30, 2014)

Yep it's all over the tech blogs, an internal Google memo about it has now been leaked too.


----------



## editor (Jan 30, 2014)

The sale has gone through.


> Google has sold Motorola Mobility to Chinese computer maker Lenovo for $2.91bn (£1.8bn), in a surprise move.
> 
> Google bought the struggling US mobile phone company for $12.5bn in 2012.
> 
> ...


Google, of course, continues to innovate elsewhere.


----------



## editor (Jan 30, 2014)

Here's what Lenovo don't get:


> We know Lenovo gets Motorola as a mobile device company, which encompasses the logo and name. What we are also starting to see is just what Lenovo _isn’t_getting in the deal, which could end up being more fruitful than Motorola Mobile ever could.
> 
> We already know Lenovo isn’t getting any of the patents Motorola held. When purchased by Google in 2012, the deal for Motorola was said to be a patent grab, meant to protect Google from lawsuits aimed in their direction. The most notable was a tiff with Microsoft in which the Motorola patents proved nearly useless.
> 
> ...


And here's some non hysterical analysis: 


> This boils down to Lenovo getting the _mobile_ Motorola, and Google keeping the intellectual property. Lenovo misses out on patents (which they’ll license for the purpose of mobile), but they gain a great mobile hardware/software company with a strong team. Google retains the patents, R&D, and special projects. When you consider the scope of what Google and Motorola can do seperately, it’s an appropriate split, and right for everyone involved.


http://androidcommunity.com/heres-what-lenovo-doesnt-get-with-their-purchase-of-motorola-20140129/


----------



## editor (Jan 30, 2014)

Some more analysis here: 



> ..We have to remember that Google sold the Motorola Home unit for $2.35 billion in cash and stock to communications-technology company Arris last year. What's more, the 2011 Motorola deal afforded Google a tax break worth $1 billion, and gave the company access to Motorola’s $3 billion in cash, according to Reuters.
> 
> Taking those figures into account, Google’s loss looks more like $3 billion. Not an insignificant amount — but nowhere near the nearly $10 billion it may appear to be at first glance.
> 
> ...


http://mashable.com/2014/01/29/google-motorola-lenovo/


----------



## editor (Jan 30, 2014)

And another take:


> *Apple, the biggest loser in the Google-Motorola-Lenovo deal*
> The iPhone maker will now face a more focused Google, as well as a stronger Lenovo. Both could cause problems for Apple down the line.
> http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57...est-loser-in-the-google-motorola-lenovo-deal/


----------



## bouncer_the_dog (Jan 30, 2014)

you gotta spend money to make money...


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 31, 2014)

bouncer_the_dog said:


> you gotta spend money to make money...



And Google have a lorra lorra money to spend clearly.


----------



## chriseigthytwo (Feb 6, 2014)

Most patents remain with google, so....
there might be some smartphone action in the future


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Feb 19, 2014)

Indeed.


----------

