Google closes HTC deal, the next Pixel phones could be developed in Taiwan

Google has just announced it has completed the $1.1 billion HTC acquisition and that it's welcoming the new teammates from the Taiwanese company to its hardware organization.

The acquisition of HTC's mobile business will make it easier for Google to build its smartphones since the search giant won't have to outsource the development of the next Pixel devices to another company. The experienced team of HTC engineers, which brought us the first touch-centric phone and the first metal-clad unibody smartphone, may prove to be exactly what Google needs to further improve its R&D abilities.

According ...