Google acquire Pixel Team of HTC in $1.1 Billion

Google Pays HTC $1.1 Billion to Acquire the Pixel Team, Not Own Their Smartphone Business. Google will also receive non-exclusive license for HTC’s intellectual property. HTC says many of the employees worked with Google to develop the Pixel smartphones. This is seemingly part of the search giant’s new hardware strategy, which is why it ended up acquiring part of another smartphone maker despite having previously acquired and then divested itself of Motorola’s mobile business.

Google didn’t acquire anything from HTC other than the talent that helped them make Pixel phones. At least that’s what the press releases from each company states. I’m trying to figure out how this doesn’t involve an HTC factory or two as well, but either way, Google now has an expert team of hardware makers in-house that they can leverage to hopefully become a real competitor in the smartphone game. On the other hand, HTC is going to continue doing what it has been doing.