Google may now be ready to buy HTC

Rumors of HTC selling its smartphone division have been common over the last few months, but the latest news suggests we may be very near to an official confirmation of what will happen to the Taiwanese phone maker.

HTC has issued a trading halt from Thursday September 21 ready for the release of information about the company. Tim Culpan, who writes for Bloomberg, reported the news and claimed it would be a "major announcement".

After rumors earlier this month suggested Google was nearing an acquisition of HTC we are tempted to believe this is what we'll hear about tomorrow.

What would it mean?

The exact details of a deal are unclear, and it may even be that HTC has found another buyer that isn't Google.

It would make sense for Google to buy HTC though. It's now almost certain the manufacturer of the smaller Pixel 2 that we expect to see launch on October 4, plus it may  be an easier way to bring the manufacturing process into Google's own business.

For more details on why Google would want to buy HTC we explored the topic earlier this month and you can read our full feature here

We don't know exactly when we'll hear the details from HTC, but fingers crossed it'll be at some point tomorrow as the company would like to resume trading as soon as possible after it's common knowledge.

TOPICS
James Peckham

James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.

Latest in HTC Phones
HTC Desire 22 Pro
HTC is back with an intriguing phone wrapped in NFT and metaverse buzzwords
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
A foldable HTC phone might be in the works, based on a new patent
HTC U20 5G
HTC U20 5G is official, and it's the company's first 5G phone
HTC is still making phones, as it launches the triple camera-toting Wildfire R70
HTC U12 Plus
HTC is launching its first 5G phone sometime this year
HTC One M8
Why the HTC One M8 is the best phone of the decade – and beats these four other phones
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over