Lenovo is killing off Motorola, will brand phones as ‘Moto by Lenovo’

Lenovo, which purchased Motorola from Google in 2014 for just north of $3 billion, will be phasing the brand out.

Future high end smartphones will carry a “Moto by Lenovo” mark, while more mid-range offerings will be branded under Lenovo’s Vibe label, according to CNET.

It’s not immediately clear what “high end” means, though; some consider the Moto X closer to mid-range than flagship. Other Moto devices, like the Moto G, are more easily identifiable as budget devices (and likely destined for the Vibe branding).

The only clarification we currently have is that Vibe devices will retail for $100 or less, but won’t be available in the US any time soon. Instead, Lenovo is using Vibe to push harder in territories it’s already strong in.

Internally, Motorola is still alive at Lenovo, and will manage the company’s entire mobile business — you just won’t see the brand elsewhere.

Naturally, this is meant to familiarize Android users with Lenovo. It also means high-spec Lenovo smartphones could be released as “Moto” devices in the future.

➤ Goodbye, Moto(rola). Iconic brand name to be phased out [CNET]