Google CEO Sundar Pichai at last year's hardware event, where the company announced its first batch of self-branded devices.
The move, $4 and then $4, is the search giant's latest attempt to juice up its $4.
Google hardware exec Rick Osterloh said in a statement: "With this agreement, a team of HTC talent will join Google as part of the hardware organization."
"These future fellow Googlers are amazing folks we've already been working with closely on the Pixel smartphone line," Osterloh said, adding that the deal includes a non-exclusive license for HTC intellectual property.
This isn't the first time Google's took a stake in a smartphone manufacturer, and it isn't clear why it will be successful this time round.
$4 in a $12.5 billion deal, only to $4 for $2.91 billion three years later (Google had sold off other parts of Motorola earlier).
At the time, Google said it $4 as it retained Motorola's most valuable asset, its patent portfolio.
Lately, $4 towards its products. With its new devices, it's taking care of both Android, the software, as well as the hardware.
In April 2016, the search giant hired Rick Osterloh, ex-Motorola chief operating officer, $4, and formally put together a hardware team under his leadership.
That resulted in the first-ever solely-Google-branded phone, the Pixel (as well as the larger Pixel XL), and also the Daydream View virtual reality headset. Earlier this year, $4.
What's more, is that Google is $4, to compete even better with deeply integrated systems like Apple's iPhone without having to rely on third party companies like Qualcomm.
When the first batch of made-by-Google devices was unveiled, Osterloh said that hardware was an important component of the tech titan's business, and that $4 The acquisition of HTC looks like further proof of this commitment.
Notably, HTC also $4 for both Pixel handsets last year, and is tipped to be once again as $4 (with $4 of the larger, higher-end "Pixel 2 XL" instead).
In addition to a refreshed phone lineup, $4 is also expected to make its debut at Google's dedicated event, $4.
Get the latest Google stock price$4