--A purchase of Motorola Mobility would give Google its own handset maker and some key patent protection --Deal raises question about impact to other Android makers --Google says it wants to keep Android as an open platform http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110815-708280.html This shouldn't affect apple really...but it will be interesting to see what this does for Windows Phone 7. Will Microsoft buy Nokia?
NOK's stock has been rising this morning. This deal seems to push MSFT's hand in acquiring NOK. It'll happen sooner than we'd expect, I'm sure.
Google execs said during a conference call about the pending Motorola acquisition that the top five Android handset partners were notified about the pending deal and were onboard with it. (Microsoft’s Windows Phone OEMs said the same when Microsoft announced its deal with Nokia earlier this year.) http://www.google.com/press/motorola/quotes/
Brilliant move by Google especially after the Nortel portfolio fiasco. Now all of a sudden they have an upper hand in the patent wars again. Samsung, HTC & co. of course are happy about the move because it means they all just got some big time legal reinforcements against Apple, Microsoft et al.
So will Samsung still make the next Nexus? And will Motorola's phones become like Nexus phones and get all the updates quickly?
The motorola boys are going have some serious culture shock. Motorola is one of the most dysfunctional companies around. Maybe google will get them to focus a little bit.
I'm not too tech savvy at all, but I've been thinking about switching out of Blackberry. Should I now think about purchasing an Android phone?
I went from BB to Android last year. Just do it. If Google truly won't alienate it's partners like HTC and Samsung (their early press releases aren't convincing), I suppose this is a good move.
agreed. Interesting discussion on yahoo here (admittedly by Henry Blodgett who has been seen as pro-apple for a long while now) about how good a plan this is, as well as whether this is an admission that apple's hardware software integration model is superior to the PC model of a common software platform crossing all hardware providers.
I suspect the Android partners (HTC and Samsung) see some benefit of having Google's deep pockets and legal staff but have to also worry whether Moto will get first and best crack at all OS innovation on the go forward.
Although I own one of the best Android phones out, I just can't really get into it. They are still quite behind iOS in app development, and the OS in general just gives me an unfinished and unrefined feel. Battery life is below standard too. I wish Google would prioritize quality over continuously releasing "beta" products and services.
I think the Microsoft partnership with Nokia + Mango is going to help them make a dent in the market as well in the near future. These patent wars have been entertaining if nothing else.
