Search giant Google dropped a massive news-bomb on us this afternoon — it’s bought Motorola Mobility, the part of Motorola that makes phones and tablets, in a £7.6bn deal. But what’s the reaction to the news, and what does it mean? Patent spending There’s strong feeling that the main motivation for the purchase is so …

Question: What is Google getting with its planned $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility? Answer: the only major Android handset maker whose share of the smartphone market receded in the second quarter. At a time when the momentum behind Android is exploding, it’s telling that Motorola was the only major vendor that couldn’t capitalize on the growth. The statistic underscores …

Patently Apple A few weeks ago, Chinese accessory makers fired off a Smart Case for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, claiming it was endorsed by Samsung, that looked remarkably similar to Apple’s Smart Cover for iPad 2. Apple has now filed a figurative trademark in China to protect the Smart Cover design. Samsung has since revealed that it did not officially …

Google and Motorola Mobility will make for awkward dance partners to a room full of jilted companies uncomfortably eyeing the pair. Remember the Nexus One? That was supposed to be the end of Google’s aspirations to get into the handset business. But not anymore. James Martin/CNET While Google’s move to acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion is largely motivated by the …

Motorola refreshes the DEFY with a waterproof, scratch-resistant DEFY+ for select markets. Motorola Though there was some other news taking the spotlight, Motorola unveiled its Defy+ handset today, confirming recent rumors of a refreshed take on T-Mobile’s version of the Android smartphone. Expected to launch in early fall across Asia, Europe, and Latin America, the “life-proof” device is capable of …

A 4G LTE iPhone is coming. That’s the conclusion drawn by Boy Genius Report, which reported this morning that at least one carrier is testing iPhone models with 4G LTE capabilities. BGR says it has “obtained evidence of an internal iOS test build from one of Apple’s major carrier partners, and buried in the firmware is a property list (.plist …

Holiday, celebrate, as a great woman once said. Let’s celebrate the HTC Holiday, a powerful new Android smart phone revealed in pictures leaked on the Internet. Photos of the phone first appeared at the XDA Developers forum, spotted by SlashGear, but have now disappeared. The Holiday sports a whopping 4.5-inch touchscreen. At that size it competes with the Samsung Infuse …

The Motorola Droid help put Android on the map. Josh Miller/CNET In a move that surprised almost everyone, Google announced this morning that it has agreed to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. The acquisition makes sense in numerous ways and buys Google some protection in the mounting patent wars. That said, it also leaves a number of questions open, …

Verizon Wireless announced today that the Bold 9930 will be available for $249.99 after a two-year customer agreement. The phone will be initially offered online starting today, and in stores starting August 25. Hours later, and Sprint followed suit with a similar announcement that its version of the Bold 9930 will also be priced at $249.99 after a two-year agreement. …

Google said today it has agreed to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, giving the search giant valuable intellectual property and getting it directly into the handset business. Google will pay $40 a share in cash for Motorola, a 63 percent premium over the company’s closing stock price on Friday. The acquisition will “mildly” add to earnings once the deal …

Though many Android manufacturers are still struggling to get Android’s Gingerbread version ready for their current range of devices, we have a reminder today that the upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich version of the platform is just around the corner. (Credit: Android Police/RootzWiki) Android Police and RootzWiki got their hands on two pics each of the upcoming Google-designed mobile platform, plus …

The Huawei Blaze, the Chinese company’s first own-brand phone to hit the UK, could be out as soon as September, according to Bloomberg. The Blaze is tipped to be a budget Android smart phone, running version 2.3 Gingerbread of Google’s mobile operating system, and a 3.2-inch touchscreen. It could sell for as little as £100, analysts reckon. Another phone, the …

RIM clearly intends the Torch 9810 to be the budget-friendly handset in its BlackBerry OS 7 handset lineup. AT&T has just e-mailed us to let us know that the Torch 9810 will retail for a very affordable $49.95 after the usual rebates and two-year contract. It will be on sale on August 21. The Torch 9810 is essentially a successor …

How does a cell phone become a cell phone? More than just processors and plastic, most cell phones in the U.S. owe their existence to the behind-the-scenes collaboration, and sometimes conflict, of the carriers and manufacturers that create a concept and design long before a smartphone or flip phone emerges from the factory. How do phones wind up in a …

In what looks like an attempt to help guard against a legal patent assault by its large tech rivals, Google is spending $12.5 billion to buy mobile handset maker Motorola Mobility. The Motorola Droid family of smartphones on Verizon Wireless helped Motorola Mobility stage its comeback. Motorola Early today, Google dropped a bombshell on the technology industry with its announcement …