novo’s $2.91 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility, announced in nuary, is now official. It brings to an end more than two years of stewardship by , which purchased Motorola in May 2012 for $12.5 billion. ( will retain license most of Motorola’s patent portfolio as part of the deal.) Over those two years, Motorola has revamped itself, paring down its product line launching nearly-pure Android phones with a few measured improvements, such as touch-free voice controls. Compared to other Android devices, like those of Samsung , Motorola’s phones have less bloatware fewer arbitrary design changes. That won’t change under novo, according Osterloh, Motorola’s president chief operating officer, wrote. “ will continue to focus on pure Android fast upgrades, remain committed to developing technology to solve real consumer problems,” Osterloh wrote in a blog post. He also noted that Motorola will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of novo based in Chicago, that the Moto Droid product lines won’t go away. Meanwhile, novo celebrated the acquisition by noting that it had become the world’s third-largest smartphone maker. “By building a strong number three a credible challenger to the top two in smartphones, we will give the market something it has needed: choice, competition a new spark of innovation,” Yang Yuanqing, novo’s chairman CEO, said in a statement. y this matters: novo sees the acquisition as its ticket into the U.S. smartphone market, where Motorola has strong carrier relationships br recognition. But while phones like the Moto X Moto G have received critical acclaim, they haven’t stopped Motorola’s earnings from plummeting. In its quest for growth, novo may feel the pressure to add more made-to-order phones pointless carrier exclusives that clog the software upgrade cycle. Now that the acquisition is official, we’ll see whether Motorola can stick to its word stay true to its ideals.
