5 ms·

I don't understand, how is this different from Google acquiring and then selling off Motorola Mobility?

puzzle 9y ago
I was at Google during the Motorola years. There was no integration whatsoever, by design. The Android team bent over backwards not to give Motorola any special access.
- otterley 9y ago
  Why was it designed that way? Can you elaborate?
  - thomasfortes 9y ago
    I remember reading somewhere that they did not integrate to not alienate other phone manufacturers, they were trying to avoid making the manufacturers feel like second class citizens.
    - eanzenberg 9y ago
      That strategy worked out really well for them.
      - samfisher83 9y ago
        It did. The have a majority of the market. They don't make money selling phones. They make money selling ads. As long as all the phones are using google search and ads they do well.
  - L_Rahman 9y ago
    Presumably to avoid any impression of special collaboration between Google and Motorola that would have spooked the large Android OEMs of the time - Samsung, HTC and LG.
  - xbmcuser 9y ago
    Simply put so that the oems like Samsung were not allienated into forking Android or going with another OS not that Samsung and Lg didn't try going with another OS.
on_and_off 9y ago
The narrative is that they only wanted the patents (and the experimental division) of Motorola. Although I suspect that Google's directionless approach does not help.
abvdasker 9y ago
This time will maybe probably actually be different despite Google's short strategic attention span. Seems to me that the main difference between then and now is that Google is probably less concerned about alienating the other Android device OEMs now that Android is more entrenched. To speculate a little more wildly it's possible Google's motive is also to push the current Android manufacturers to "up their game" in the same way Google Fiber may have been a subtle threat to internet service providers.
- moh_maya 9y ago
  also, Samsung has Tizen as a hedge / card against Android; so this may also be Google building up its leverage. As you suggest, perhaps this iteration of hardware will be like Microsoft Surface. Well built, slightly more pricey hardware that set the bar for the industry..?
guhan_ganesh 9y ago
I have worked as a contractor with TI audio team. I have heard from them that, HTC Taiwan team is one of the best in the world.
bitmapbrother 9y ago
This was more of a acquihire while the Motorola deal was more about the patents.

I was at Google during the Motorola years. There was no integration whatsoever, by design. The Android team bent over backwards not to give Motorola any special access.

otterley 9y ago
Why was it designed that way? Can you elaborate?
- thomasfortes 9y ago
  I remember reading somewhere that they did not integrate to not alienate other phone manufacturers, they were trying to avoid making the manufacturers feel like second class citizens.
  - eanzenberg 9y ago
    That strategy worked out really well for them.
    - samfisher83 9y ago
      It did. The have a majority of the market. They don't make money selling phones. They make money selling ads. As long as all the phones are using google search and ads they do well.
- L_Rahman 9y ago
  Presumably to avoid any impression of special collaboration between Google and Motorola that would have spooked the large Android OEMs of the time - Samsung, HTC and LG.
- xbmcuser 9y ago
  Simply put so that the oems like Samsung were not allienated into forking Android or going with another OS not that Samsung and Lg didn't try going with another OS.

on_and_off 9y ago

The narrative is that they only wanted the patents (and the experimental division) of Motorola. Although I suspect that Google's directionless approach does not help.

abvdasker 9y ago

This time will maybe probably actually be different despite Google's short strategic attention span. Seems to me that the main difference between then and now is that Google is probably less concerned about alienating the other Android device OEMs now that Android is more entrenched. To speculate a little more wildly it's possible Google's motive is also to push the current Android manufacturers to "up their game" in the same way Google Fiber may have been a subtle threat to internet service providers.

moh_maya 9y ago
also, Samsung has Tizen as a hedge / card against Android; so this may also be Google building up its leverage. As you suggest, perhaps this iteration of hardware will be like Microsoft Surface. Well built, slightly more pricey hardware that set the bar for the industry..?

guhan_ganesh 9y ago

I have worked as a contractor with TI audio team. I have heard from them that, HTC Taiwan team is one of the best in the world.

bitmapbrother 9y ago

This was more of a acquihire while the Motorola deal was more about the patents.