WSJ: Motorola reconsidering spin-off of mobile unit

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, is reporting that Motorola has "paused the auction of its home-and-networks mobility unit" and is reconsidering its breakup plan.

It's unclear, however, whether the move is a result of a recent uptick in handset sales or whether the bids for the business unit have been lower than expected. The company had hoped that the business unit could fetch between $4 billion and $5 billion but that bids have fallen more into the $3 billion to $4 billion range.

The source told the WSJ that the next round of bids had been expected in mid-February but that those date is now in limbo as the company's executives and board members discuss the future of the company's business units.

Back in October 2008, the company said the spin-off would be delayed until after 2009. At the time, the company said it was still a year from delivering its first Android device. That device, the Droid for Verizon Wireless, was released in November.