Lenovo Isn't Buying Motorola's Phones. It's Buying the Brand
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Lenovo Group doesn't need a phone company. It is a phone company. The Chinese consumer-electronics giant is currently the fourth-largest smartphone maker in the world, according to research firm IDC. It's bigger than LG Electronics, HTC, Sony and yes, even Motorola Mobility.
Lenovo isn't paying Google $2.91 billion for the Motorola handset unit to get access to a factory in Texas or phones with colorful cases. Heck, it's not even getting most of the patents. Lenovo is acquiring a brand that still has caché in developed markets, especially in the U.S. where it's based. Motorola is third in smartphone sales in the U.S., according to ComScore — a distant third to Apple and Samsung, but still third.