It’s Official: Google Is Now a Hardware Company

Bloomberg BusinessWeek: On Tuesday, Google officially finalized its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility. Originally, Google was interested in purchasing the phone manufacturer for its treasure trove of patents, but now Google plans to get serious about the hardware business. “This is a huge opportunity to really show what Android can do in a well-designed, well-packaged, and well-marketed product,” said Google’s Dennis Woodside, who will head up Motorola Mobility.

Woodside also hinted that Google plans to challenge Apple’s iPad in the tablet market. “It’s hard to believe this market will only go to one player, as much as it might appear that way right now,” he said. “Motorola is going to be there and it’s going to be a player.”