Are Samsung and Google friends again?

The debate about the implications of Google's purchase and subsequent sale of Motorola goes on after Lenovo's purchase of the company yesterday, but many are now suggesting the deal is good news for Samsung.

They might be the world's largest smartphone maker — based on however which way you look — but things are getting a tougher for Samsung. Its rapid sales growth has been continually slowing and although Motorola hadn't challenged it on a sales level, the company was developing high quality Android devices, such as the Moto X handset, that looked to have had the potential to rival Samsung's Galaxy family. Not to mention the issue of Google owning Motorola and Android.

It appears the Lenovo deal has removed these ambiguous points and it seems that Google's broken relationship with Samsung is on the mend.

9to5google argues that the Lenovo-Motorola deal looks as if it "has Samsung written all over it" and there seems to be enough proof that this deal could have been made to appease Samsung.

There appears to be signs of increased cooperation between the two companies, with the agreement over a recent patent licensing deal.

There are reports that Samsung has now decided to 'dial back' the tweaks and design tailoring that it had become renowned for on its Android devices – frustrating google purists

Also, Moto was emerging as a Samsung rival, even though it was causing google continuous losses.

Whether the Motorola deal was made to appease Samsung, or Google is just trying to breathe life into Motorola and refresh the Android landscape, Samsung appears to be benefactor from this deal. Lenovo now becomes the third largest mobile provider behind Samsung and Apple.

Do you think the sale of Motorola was to appease Samsung? Tell us your thoughts below.