Motorola losses widen ahead of sale to Lenovo

Google's Motorola Mobility unit posted a wider loss, but showed signs of progress with its sales ticking up.

Motorola, which Google agreed to sell to Chinese PC and phone maker Lenovo for $2.9 billion, posted revenue of $1.45 billion in the fiscal first quarter. With its looming sale, Google's net loss from discontinued operations was $198 million, slightly wider than the $182 million it posted a year ago.

Google posted first-quarter earnings that missed Wall Street expectations.

Motorola's higher sales suggest some people are picking up the Moto X flagship phone or its budget-friendly Moto G. The executive team, now under new President Rick Osterloh, has vowed to operate as business as usual as it awaits the takeover by Lenovo.

Motorola is expected to give the Chinese company a boost to its global credibility. Motorola has an established reputation as a handset maker and boasts strong relationships with carrier partners around the world.

It has recently garnered some buzz for its Moto 360 smartwatch, which it unveiled last month.

For now, Motorola remains part of Google.