Earlier this year, in something of a shock move, Google and Lenovo announced that the latter had agreed to purchase Motorola Mobility from the former, for a whopping $2.91 Billion. While that almost $3 Billion price tag is pretty big, it pales in comparison to the $12.5 Billion that Google paid for the company back in 2012, and even though Google is keeping their hands on the patents that many feel was the driving force behind Google’s decision back then, this hasn’t been the best purchase that Google has ever made. For Lenovo however, it could be the start of a big push into the global mobile arena, essentially purchasing a brand presence outside of China and for Motorola, Lenovo’s scale and experience in shifting consumer products should help the company go from strength-to-strength.
While Reuters is reporting that the deal has now been finalized, Motorola is sharing the news on their official blog as well, saying “Hello, Lenovo!”. The blog post is penned by none other than Rick Osterloh, and for those that were concerned Motorola would lose their identity under Lenovo, he writes that “the iconic Motorola brand will continue, as will the Moto and DROID franchises that have propelled our growth over the past year. We will continue to focus on pure Android and fast upgrades, and remain committed to developing technology to solve real consumer problems”. It’s reassuring to hear just that as the deal becomes final, but this could change in the future, but it wouldn’t the smartest decision in the world of Lenovo to change what’s made Motorola so popular over the last couple of years.
No longer just hoping to keep on going for the moment, Motorola is looking to the future, with Osterloh writing that “with Lenovo backing us, we look forward to being able to reshape the industry for decades to come.” These are exciting times for Motorola, they recently just launched their lineup of Moto products, with a new Moto G for everyone, a Moto X with customization options on a scale offered by no other and the Moto 360, one of the coolest smartwatches around. As well as all that, the company has delivered the DROID Turbo on Verizon Wireless, with some of the best specs around and the giant Nexus 6, which (ridiculous Play Store ordering problems aside) is easily the best Nexus smartphone ever made. As 2014 draws to a close, it looks like 2015 could be an interesting year for Motorola and consumers in the market for a thoughtful, well-built smartphone.