Lenovo said Thursday its net profit for the quarter through June rose 23% from a year earlier, while revenue increased 18%. Solid growth was thanks in part to a jump in smartphone sales in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, according to the company.Lenovo, the world’s fourth-largest smartphone maker in the second quarter according to IDC, is in the process of buying Google’s Motorola Mobility handset business for $2.91 billion. At the same time, the company is trying to complete a $2.3 billion deal to buy International Business Machines’ low-end server business.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Lenovo Chief Executive Yang Yuanqing talked about the company’s smartphone strategy and how Motorola will help it become more competitive. Below are edited excerpts of the interview.
Read more: The Wall Street Journal