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Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

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Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#111

Post by pyrmont »

ldng wrote: post #27
martingordon wrote: post #18

So now Google has blessed a hardware manufacturer as the official Android manufacturer, and despite Google's insistence that Android is open, I don't think we've seen the Honeycomb source code yet. How long until Google no longer offers the Android source at all? Samsung, HTC and the others are probably not very happy about this and will likely move them to start pushing their Windows Phone 7 handsets a bit harder th…

Well it's not like it's an unknown situation. It's more like going back to Symbian licensing situation a few years back.

Yeah, that worked out great.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#112

Post by etaty »

kylec wrote: post #30

Interestingly, this means the only manufacturer-neutral smartphone OS is now Windows Phone 7. iOS is on Apple, Android is on Motorola/Google, Blackberry on RIM, and webOS on HP/Palm. I wonder if this means we'll see an increase in WP7-based phones from HTC, Samsung, and LG...

Samsung has Bada : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bada_%28operating_system%29

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#113

Post by [deleted] »

tpatke wrote: post #51
ErrantX wrote: post #3

Only part of Motorola, and not generally the part considered the "original". :) Motorola mobility was spun off of the main company in January - I think at the time there was commentary on the stock markets that it was done with the aim to get someone to buy it. So Motorola will exist still - as Motorola Solutions (it is the bigger & more profitable part of the company anyway) and Google get a phone manufacture divisi…

I wonder how many patents were transferred to the new company. Motorola certainly has a lot and MSFT and Apple have been overpaying lately...

[deleted]

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#114

Post by [deleted] »

w1ntermute wrote: post #84
RuadhanMc wrote: post #61

It's fascinating to see the behemoths (Apple, Microsoft, Google) positioning themselves for the fight ahead. The importance of this fight cannot be understated. Microsoft won the last fight like this and they have dominated our desktops for 15 years (OK, maybe not all HN devotees) and pocketed gazillions. Apple are ahead right now (manufacturing handsets, selling software, etc), Google are second and Microsoft are la…

> Apple are ahead right now (manufacturing handsets, selling software, etc) Uhh, haven't more Android handsets been sold per day than iOS handsets for like the last 6 months?

[deleted]

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#115

Post by hammock »

ErrantX wrote: post #3

Only part of Motorola, and not generally the part considered the "original". :) Motorola mobility was spun off of the main company in January - I think at the time there was commentary on the stock markets that it was done with the aim to get someone to buy it. So Motorola will exist still - as Motorola Solutions (it is the bigger & more profitable part of the company anyway) and Google get a phone manufacture divisi…

They did it for the patents. Larry Page: "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."

Seems like the best jobs at Google will soon be the lawyers, not the engineers.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#116

Post by ConstantineXVI »

presty wrote: post #94

Just speculating: Could this be a genius move? I don't know how good MM's patent portfolio is but not only they get lots of ammo for the patent war, they also get their own phone manufacturer. And MM seems to in more than just phones, could they lead the way for the future of Android, namely Android@Home and Android Open Accessory?

Don't forget MotoMobile also got Moto's cable box business. Think of every new Comcast, TWC, etc. subscriber suddenly having a Google TV box by default; which is fully integrated with their cable system. Apple and Roku's boxes wouldn't stand a chance.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#118

Post by qw »

Jabbles wrote: post #53
tpatke wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how many patents were transferred to the new company. Motorola certainly has a lot and MSFT and Apple have been overpaying lately...

http://mediacenter.motorola.com/Press-Releases/Motorola-Mobi... http://www.unwiredview.com/2011/08/01/did-motorola-just-hint... ~24,500 (~17000 Granted and ~7000 Pending)

That number of patents is "proof" that the patent system is broken. I have nothing against patents, but they need to describe actual innovations.

I have problems believing they had 24500 real innovations. If a company can produce 24500 patents, then most are not what I think of as innovations but just a result of standard engineering work.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#119

Post by EiZei »

haasted wrote: post #41
kylec wrote: post #30

Interestingly, this means the only manufacturer-neutral smartphone OS is now Windows Phone 7. iOS is on Apple, Android is on Motorola/Google, Blackberry on RIM, and webOS on HP/Palm. I wonder if this means we'll see an increase in WP7-based phones from HTC, Samsung, and LG...

Isn't it questionable whether WP7 will be manufacturer-neutral? The level of cooperation between Nokia and Microsoft remains to be seen, but a possible outcome is that Nokia ends up looking like a subsidiary of Microsoft.

It might become a subsidiary instead of just looking like one, Nokia's stock jumped up over 10% here just now due to the speculation that Microsoft might be eying them especially after this move.

Re: Google Buys Motorola For $12.5 Billion

#120

Post by felipemnoa »

sigzero wrote: post #42
wgren wrote: post #11

On one hand, other Android based phone manufacturers are clearly going to face an uphill struggle if Google are going to release new versions of the OS on their own devices first. On the other hand, it will hopefully provide some protection against being sued by Apple+Microsoft.

It doesn't help against Oracle though. If the OS goes what does it matter? Not that I think that will happen. More likely Google will be force to shell out some cash to Oracle.

I wouldn't be so sure. There is a chance that they can find a patent or two among the 24 thousand that they can use against Oracle.
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