Google could shut down Motorola Mobility's hardware business, keeping its patents.
And recent events tend to show that Moto Mobility would not have been able to continue to sell smartphones if they had sold their patents to Google.
I am not sure about that, companies like Intellectual Ventures/Lodsys do all kinds of manipulations.
>And recent events tend to show that Moto Mobility would not have been able to continue to sell smartphones if they had sold their patents to Google.
That wouldn't work like that. Google would (need to) provide patent indemnification to Android licensees like Microsoft does with their desktop Windows and mobile WP7.
A reason for them not to announce it is fear of drawing the attention of anti-trust regulators.