Recently, the renowned research firm Counterpoint unveiled the global market share data for foldable screen phones for the second quarter of 2025.

As illustrated in the chart below, Huawei takes the lead with a 45% market share, followed by Motorola (now under Lenovo) with a 28% share, Samsung with 9%, and other brands collectively accounting for 18%.

In comparison to the same period last year, both Huawei and Motorola have witnessed a substantial increase in their market shares, whereas Samsung's share has plummeted.

This ranking might leave many puzzled, considering the Motorola brand's storied past. After all, Motorola was the inventor of the world's first mobile phone, leading some to believe it had faded into obscurity.

During the era of feature phones, Motorola stood as a global behemoth, on par with Nokia. However, it faced challenges during the transition to smartphones and subsequently declined.

Initially, Motorola was acquired by Google for a staggering $12.5 billion. Google's strategy was to leverage Motorola to promote the Android system and to acquire Motorola's extensive patent portfolio, consisting of over 17,000 patents, to bolster its own defenses. Once the patents were secured, Google sold Motorola again, as it deemed the patents sufficient and showed little interest in Motorola's phone business.

Consequently, Lenovo stepped in and acquired Motorola for $2.9 billion in 2014, roughly one-fifth of what Google had paid. The question of whether this was a wise investment remains open to debate.

To be candid, Lenovo's initial performance post-acquisition was lackluster. Motorola's smartphone business was struggling, leading many to speculate that Lenovo had made a costly mistake. There were even whispers that Lenovo might abandon the Motorola brand altogether.

However, judging by current results, Lenovo has successfully resuscitated Motorola, the trailblazer of mobile phones.

Lenovo now ranks as the second-largest player globally in the foldable screen phone market. This popularity stems from Motorola's foldable screen phones, which are highly sought after in markets like the United States and Europe, particularly the small foldable screen phones such as the moto razr series. In the fourth quarter of last year, one model alone commanded 44.5% of the vertical foldable screen market, securing the top spot globally.

Moreover, Lenovo's global smartphone sales ranking has climbed to eighth place, with Motorola contributing significantly to these figures.

Data indicates that in the first quarter of the 2025/26 fiscal year (ending June 30, 2025), Lenovo's mobile phone business generated RMB 16.2 billion in revenue, marking a 14% year-on-year increase, largely attributed to Motorola. Furthermore, Lenovo's mobile phone business is now profitable.

It can be said that Motorola, once on the brink of collapse and in the ICU, has been truly revitalized by Lenovo. Moreover, it is poised for even greater success in the future. Lenovo's acquisition of Motorola for $2.9 billion has proven to be a shrewd move, as the current actual value of this asset has surpassed $10 billion.