HTC buys patent portfolio

HTC has gone on a spending spree for patents, it confirmed this week.

The Taiwanese handset manufacturer which made its name incorporating Google's Android mobile OS onto its hardware spent $75 million (46.2 million) on 82 issued patents, along with 14 applications awaiting approval.

The patents, which HTC bought from ADC Telecommunications, covered a range of wireless telecoms technology and are set to help the company develop its 4G capabilities.

HTC recently announced a raft of new smartphones, along with its first attempt in the tablet market with the HTC Flyer.

Its current portfolio has undoubtedly helped Google take the crown in the UK for the most popular mobile operating system.

A report released yesterday by YouGov showed Android was the choice of 28 per cent of mobile users in the UK, with Apple's iOS only reaching 26 per cent.

But is Android fit for business? Read our feature to find out.

Jennifer Scott is a former freelance journalist and currently political reporter for Sky News. She has a varied writing history, having started her career at Dennis Publishing, working in various roles across its business technology titles, including ITPro. Jennifer has specialised in a number of areas over the years and has produced a wealth of content for ITPro, focusing largely on data storage, networking, cloud computing, and telecommunications.

Most recently Jennifer has turned her skills to the political sphere and broadcast journalism, where she has worked for the BBC as a political reporter, before moving to Sky News.