The latest chapter in Motorola’s storied history was turned this week, with Google announcing that it was selling the brand to Lenovo for $2.9 billion.

This is just two and a half years since the company acquired Motorola in 2012 for a considerable $12.5 billion, a move which sent shockwaves of surprise through the mobile industry  at the time. It doesn’t take too much math to realise that Google is taking a hit, at least financially on this one; however, no doubt cushioning the blow is the fact that the tech giant will apparently retain the vast majority of Motorola’s patents.

Google’s CEO, Larry Page, explained the move on the company’s blog, elaborating that the acquisition helped supercharge the Android ecosystem by creating a stronger patent portfolio for Google, while crediting the Motorola team for having “done a tremendous job reinventing the company” in the interim. However, it seems as though Google believes that Motorola will be better served by Lenovo’s acquisition.

While Page added that the move will enable Google to focus its energy on ”driving innovation across the Android ecosystem,” he debunked any assertions that the sale signified a more concerted shift in Google’s hardware strategy, alluding no doubt to the company’s efforts with regards to wearable technology.

On the acquisition trail

From Lenovo’s side, this is not the first time the Chinese company has snapped up a major brand. Ten years ago, Lenovo acquired IBM’s PC business, for $1.25 billion in cash and equity. It has been noted that the Motorola acquisition will give Lenovo a further foothold in the US market – which takes on slightly more meaning when you factor in President Obama’s assertion during his State of the Union address that for the first time in more than a decade, the US had surpassed China as being the world’s number one place in which to invest.  

What’s more, just a week ago, Lenovo once again went shopping at IBM, picking up their server business for a little more than $2 billion.

Clearly Lenovo is going full steam ahead, on its own mission. While Google’s sale of Motorola may just be business as usual for the tech titan, the acquisitions on Lenovo’s part may just indicate that it is the company to keep an eye out for in the year ahead. As the Chinese would say, “May you live in interesting times.” That, we certainly do.