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Comment by jpkeisala | Hacker News Reader

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jpkeisala·

Why do they want to buy HTC? Are there some significant patents they are holding?

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According to wikipedia they are the pixel's manufacturer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_(smartphone)

And Foxconn makes the iPhone yet Apple sees no need to buy them.

HTCs stock price has tanked in the last 5 years. They laid off 15% of their employees last year. Finally their market cap is about even with their cash in the bank so buying them would be essentially free. Finally, they make the Pixel so Google has worked very closely with them recently.

Not 100% sure but maybe the Vive/VR tech?

If this purchase happens, it will almost certainly not include Vive, from my understanding. Reports today said mobile phone business only. And Vive is being considered for selloff as a separate company.

I'd say that Google is not interested in the phone business. After all, they did have Motorola Mobility [1].

As other said, they are after the VR stuff, and any sale will contain that bit. They will let phones run a bit, then either sell it at a bargain to other manufacturer ( Lenovo? ) or let it slowly ( or abruptly) die.

[1] the other Motorola is doing just fine. https://www.motorolasolutions.com/

But what you are saying is the complete opposite of what the rumor is. Since its explicitly about their mobile phone business.

Also, note that now they have the Pixel instead of the Nexus line, which is supposedly in house designed by currently isn't.

Google have the money to implement open (as in truly open) VR runtime for it, which neither HTC nor Valve did. Not sure if they will though.

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