Which mobile-phone company did Google acquire in 2012 for approximately $12.5 billion?

Google acquired Motorola Mobility in 2012 for approximately $12.5 billion.

The acquisition closed in May 2012 after regulatory approval in the United States, Europe, and China. Motorola Mobility gave Google a hardware business and a large portfolio of mobile patents. Google said the deal would strengthen the Android ecosystem, while Motorola Mobility continued producing smartphones and other devices under its own brand.

Motorola had split into two independent companies in 2011. Motorola Mobility focused on mobile devices and home equipment, while Motorola Solutions concentrated on enterprise and public-safety communications. Google bought Motorola Mobility, not Motorola Solutions.

Google sold Motorola Mobility’s handset business to Lenovo in 2014 for about $2.91 billion, while retaining much of the patent portfolio. This later resale is why the acquisition is often discussed alongside Google’s changing approach to making Android hardware.