Google Buys Motorola Shock

[Snokio]

Google SHOCK! Snaps up Motorola phone biz for $12.5bn

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/google-buys-motorolas-smartphone-business-114927489.html

[smilodon]

At least that's the end of that terrible Motoblur skin

(not sure what the problem is but the link does not seem to want to copy properly?)

[Snokio]

Thanks for the heads up, think it detected a 'swear' (WT.F) word, new link added

[smilodon]

Good job someone had a clue how this forum works... :doh:

[Gandalf]

wow, they sure kept that quiet! Should be good for all things android

[smilodon]

I wonder how much this has to do with mobile phones at all. Google have just bought a whole load of patents that came bundled with Motorola Mobility. I'm sure we'll find that 'surprise surprise' Apple are infringing on a whole load of them. I think this might be as much about protecting Google, Android and it's hardware partners from an increasingly desperate and litigious Apple and Microsoft, as being able to build it's own mobile phones. Also Motorola Mobility make a lot of TV related stuff that would fit very nicely with Google TV and its possible future plans.

I'm still happy that Google have done this though. It's going to be great if Google make sure any new Motorola phones and tablets come with vanilla Android. We certainly need more pure Android phones than just the occasional Nexus offering.

[T-Bag]

Interesting move. Google phones all have a near enough direct equivalent from HTC so there was no incentive to buy them direct. It'll be interesting to see if they try and make phones available this way or just leave the Mobility arm to do its own thing.
It's good they've finally got a load of patents behind them to shut Apple up with its court cases for now at least. (As well as that Motorolas weakest point was always the UI - even on Android phones - so here's a chance to match a great OS with really high quality hardware).