Google is to sell its Motorola division to Lenovo for nearly $3bn ( 2.19 euros).

It is the Chinese computer maker’s second major deal on US soil in a week.

While it marks a hasty retreat by Google from the mobile phone handset business, the company is to keeping its lucrative patents including the Android smartphone and tablet softwear.

Analysts claim Google originally bought Motorola to secure its trove of patents and were surprised it didn’t sell off the hardware division immediately.