Goodbye, Motorola

(File pix) Lenovo, which bought the Motorola phone business from Google in 2014, is phasing out the Motorola brand for its phones. A Motorola representative confirmed Thursday that Lenovo will still use the name “Motorola Mobility” for the company’s phone division, but it will shift the branding of its phones and wearable devices to “Moto” and “Vibe.” Photo courtesy of Lenovo website
(File pix) Lenovo, which bought the Motorola phone business from Google in 2014, is phasing out the Motorola brand for its phones. A Motorola representative confirmed Thursday that Lenovo will still use the name “Motorola Mobility” for the company’s phone division, but it will shift the branding of its phones and wearable devices to “Moto” and “Vibe.” Photo courtesy of Lenovo website
January 8, 2016 @ 8:49am

LAS VEGAS: A famous name in mobile phones is going away. Lenovo, which bought the Motorola phone business from Google in 2014, is phasing out the Motorola brand for its phones.

(File pix) Motorola which ushered consumers into the era of mobility back in the 1990s will no longer be a brand familiar to the younger generation. AP Photo
(File pix) Motorola which ushered consumers into the era of mobility back in the 1990s will no longer be a brand familiar to the younger generation. AP Photo

Motorola is widely credited as the first company to produce a mobile phone, and it was a leading brand a decade ago. But it struggled to keep up with newer smartphone makers and, after splitting into companies, saw its mobile phone business acquired by Google in 2012. Google then sold the business to Lenovo two years later.

CNET first reported Lenovo’s decision. A Motorola representative confirmed Thursday that Lenovo will still use the name “Motorola Mobility” for the company’s phone division, but it will shift the branding of its phones and wearable devices to “Moto” and “Vibe.” -- AP