On August 15th, 2011, Google revealed that it would be purchasing Motorola Mobility, which was formerly in charge of the eponymous corporation's cellular phone division. One of the major reasons motivating the acquisition was Google's desire to pick up Motorola's library of patents. In a blog post, Google CEO Larry Page wrote that the move would "better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple, and other companies."
The decision would later prove problematic. It was eventually revealed that Motorola's patent portfolio was worth less than initially believed. In a case between Microsoft and Motorola, a judge ruled that Redmond only owed $1.7 million in annual royalties as opposed to the $4 billion that Motorola had desired.
Motorola would also make a number of smartphones under Google, including Moto X, Moto E, and the Moto G. Unfortunately, despite being well-received by critics, the Moto X failed to capture the attention of the market. But the lower-cost Moto G and Moto E have been popular, with the G being Motorola's best-selling smartphone ever. The fusillade of setbacks eventually led Google into selling Motorola Mobility to Lenovo for $2.91 billion, a fraction of what it had originally paid for the company.
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