Motorola had 12-18 month product roadmap when purchased by Google

Earlier on Tuesday, we passed along to you the results of Google's Q4 earnings. Of course, when you think Google, you think Motorola and the latter hurt Google's bottom line by reporting an operating loss of $353 million dollars for the quarter. Google profited to the tune of $2.89 billion in the quarter. This could go on for some time according to Google Senior VP and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette. During the fourth quarter earnings call, the executive repeated that when Google purchased Motorola, it inherited 12-18 months of products that were promised to buyers. Fulfilling this roadmap could continue to bring red ink Moto's way, but there really is nothing Google can do until all prior obligations are met.

While Google has only had 6 months since closing the deal, it takes time for these charges to work through the system. The amount of red ink that Motorola produces is not large enough to affect Google's stock although Pichette says that Google aims to make money with Motorola. The upcoming Motorola X will be an important indication of what Google and Motorola can produce together. Motorola has made no secret that this will be the first Motorola phone that lets everyone know who Moto's daddy is.

The last time Motorola and Google worked so closely on a smartphone might have been the Motorola DROID which was the first Android model to launch with Android 2.0. You might recall that the OG Motorola DROID came with stock Android. The . To reiterate the speculation we passed along on Monday, the Motorola X is expected to be introduced at Google I/O in May. Speculation calls for a July 8th launch of the phone at a price of $299 on contract from Verizon while the model will also be offered unlocked and off-contract at the Google Play Store. The Motorola X will also be offered by other U.S. carriers.

source: AndroidCentral