(File Photo)

Alphabet Inc’s Google will acquire part of Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC’s smartphone operations for 1.1 billion US dollars, the companies said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Under the deal, Google will acquire a team of people who develop Pixel smartphones for the US firm and receive a non-exclusive license for the firm’s intellectual property.

The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close by early 2018.