Google Buys Motorola Mobility

[Phillip Swanson]

Google and Motorola confirmed today Google is buying Motorola Mobility (MM), the mobile division of Motorola, for the $12.5 billon.

Google, with its acquisition, has entered into the direct manufacturing of Android handsets and become the proud owner of 17,000 patents plus another 7,000 patents pending. Google's CEO Larry Page made Google's intentions clear during a conference call as the word "patent" was mention 24 times. Page even spells it out on Google's official blog.

Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google's patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies. - Larry Page

Google plans to run, or rather not to run, MM. MM will remain separate from Google, so much so that MM will still have to competitively bid against other manufacturers to produce the Google Nexus phones. However, the concern still remains that MM will get preferential treatment from google thereby alienating other third-party Android phone manufacturers.

How involved Google really is in the day to day operations of their newly aquired company will be seen soon enough, but the bigger takeaway is the newly found legal power Google has added to their patent library. Google, who was in danger of being blackballed out of the mobile telecom industry, now has a significant arsenal to battle the likes of Apple inside and outside of the courtroom.

Mobile technology gets more interesting by the day.

Source: CNN

[KraXik]

I think Google should actively be involved with Motorola. Finally have an android OS that's properly intertwined with a handset rather than just shoehorned in. This will finally give the iPhone the competition it deserves.

[Mysterion]

Google + Motorola = WIN.

[hogcia]

I see good things coming out of this for us as the consumer.

[Orby]

Google is wasting money if they don't actually wield their influence over 'Rola. If they just siphon money off but keep Motorola's internal system entirely separate and untouched, forcing them to bid and play Android as they have been before? They'll continue to lose the hardware war to Samsung and/or HTC. There's a reason no Nexus or Google I/O developer devices have been made by Motorola to this point... Two HTCs, two Sammys.

Also, I predict the chances of Honeycomb or later versions of Android going fully FOSS are now next-to-zero.

[Notangel74]

GOOGLE gets better and BIG nice

[Cer0]

Hmmm and Google gains 17000+ patents.

[Ricky008]

Awesome but don't think it's a good news for other Android partners like Samsung.

Change is inevitable... except from vending machines

[Anny11]

Yes Google is always best for consumers and this very good combination of Google and Motorola.

[delsey]

Both Google and Apple do very innovative job. Google make my integration between device seamless, Apple make good competition among smartphone. I believe only Google can beat Apple in smartphone industry as well as Apple beat Android.
Competition give us benefit

Google is just young player in this industry, bought Motorola will make them strong to compete with "Sue Addicted Company"

[sziklassy]

This should be good. Let the patent wars continue! :P