Report: Samsung is actively pursuing BlackBerry despite rebuttals from both sides
According to the Financial Post, Samsung is still trying to take over or buy a significant stake in BlackBerry, even though both sides have categorically denied the rumor.
The Financial Post has managed to get its hands on a document which outlines the business case for a take over and even suggests a possible structure for such a purchase. The document is purported to come from a New York-based independent investment bank, Evercore Partners, and was prepared on Samsung’s request.
Although the document was prepared during the last quarter of 2014, the Financial Post writes that a source familiar with the take over plans has said that Samsung is still interested in buying BlackBerry.
Last week, the news of a potential takeover from Samsung caused BlackBerry’s stock to rise temporarily, but it quickly returned to its nominal levels once the rumor was denied by both parties. “BlackBerry has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possible offer to purchase BlackBerry,” the company said at the time. Likewise a Samsung spokeswoman told Reuters that “media reports of the acquisition are groundless.”
The main reason why Samsung would want to buy Blackberry is because of its back-end services and servers.
From the outside Samsung wanting to buy a failing smartphone maker, that has little in common with its own business model, seems like a dumb idea. Samsung already has Android, and Tizen. It doesn’t need a third mobile operating system to maintain. However there is more to BlackBerry than just its handset business. It is probable that the main reason why Samsung would want to buy Blackberry is because of its back-end services and servers. Many corporations, especially in North America, rely on BlackBerry for device management. Its BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) has about half the mobile device management market. BlackBerry has also added support for iOS and Android devices.
Back in November 2014, Blackberry and Samsung announced plans to work together to bring Samsung’s Knox security platform to BlackBerry’s business customers. The partnership is designed to bring together BlackBerry’s cross-platform BES12 enterprise mobility management software and Samsung’s KNOX security for Android devices. The partnership was, in part, a reaction to Apple teaming up with IBM to create a set of iPhone and iPad “enterprise apps” aimed at corporate and government customers.
However, $7.5 billion is a lot of money for Samsung to spend to buy its way into the enterprise. I am sure we haven’t heard the last of this story yet, so stay tuned to Android Authority for more coverage as it develops.
Samsung’s first Tizen phone facing cold reception in India
The Samsung Z1 would fit in with literally any of the company’s budget Android devices yet is actually running Tizen.
India is proving to be a more difficult stomping ground for fledgling OS ventures than many have assumed. The country has an enormous population yet relatively few who can afford to buy the latest and greatest products from the likes of Samsung or Apple. Last year, Google attempted to get its Android One program off the ground in India yet sales have been anything but brisk so far. It looks like the latest victim to a cold reception is none other than Samsung, with its continuously delayed Tizen OS.
Samsung recently launched the Tizen-powered Z1 in India, though Reuters is reporting that it’s hardly making a dent in a country where no fewer than 283 different brands of smartphones are available. The phone costs 5700 Rupees (about $92) and even on eBay it can be had for only about a $30 premium from the few sellers offering it. This is a far cry from the likes of devices such as the Galaxy S5, Galaxy Note 4, or even Galaxy Note Edge, which all had incredibly high markups from opportunistic eBay sellers. Given the extremely low price, it might seem surprising that the device hasn’t exactly hit it off. But when looking at the specs, things become a bit clearer:
One Indian shopper apparently likened the device to a phone from 2010, and in truth he’s not stretching the truth. The phone pictured above doesn’t have LTE, doesn’t have a large AMOLED screen (it’s PLS no less), comes with a dual-core CPU, has 1GB of RAM, a 3 megapixel rear camera, and just 4GB of internal storage. Compare this with say, the Micromax Canvas A1 (Android One) phone that has a 4.5 inch IPS screen, a Quad-Core CPU, 5 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel front camera, and runs KitKat.
A local analyst cited by Reuters explains why Samsung may have a dud on its hands, despite the bargain bin price: “”It’s not always about the cheapest, customers are looking for specs … There are already a plethora of devices running on Android that Indian customers can choose from.”
The problem is only worsened by the fact that as a brand-new commercial OS, Tizen has an extremely limited app selection available for download, whereas Android One phones have more than a million programs to choose from. This is perhaps not unlike the situation facing the Firefox OS platform. One has to wonder just why Samsung felt the need to cancel the launch of its original Z phone last year in Russia, for at least it had relatively nice specs on-par with a mid-range modern Android phone:
While it’s far too early to draw a broad conclusion as to the success or failure of Tizen, at least based on the first week of release, the criticism would seem to suggest it’s not quite where it needs to be yet. Although Samsung has Tizen running on other types of devices – the most prominent being its smart TVs and its Gear line of wearables – it is the phone segment where that truly matters if the Korean company ever hopes to distance itself from Google and the Android platform.
Poll: What was the best thing shown at the Microsoft Windows 10 event?
We were hoping to be wowed by Microsoft’s Windows 10 event yesterday, and it didn’t disappoint. Desktop, tablet, phone, Xbox, your head, all got a look in and a demonstration of how things will be with the launch of Windows 10.
Now that the dust has settled a little and we’ve had time to step back and take stock, we want to know what you thought was the best thing shown off.
Don’t miss your chance to get this Lumia 520 skin case for only $4.95 today!
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BlackBerry CEO Says U.S. Government Should Force Apple to Expand iMessage to Other Platforms
BlackBerry CEO John Chen yesterday published a blog post adaptation of a letter in which he presses U.S. government officials to support not only net neutrality but also “application/content neutrality”. In Chen’s view, all apps and content should be available on all platforms, and he points specifically to Apple’s iMessage and Netflix’s streaming services as examples of discrimination against BlackBerry.
Unlike BlackBerry, which allows iPhone users to download and use our BBM service, Apple does not allow BlackBerry or Android users to download Apple’s iMessage messaging service. Netflix, which has forcefully advocated for carrier neutrality, has discriminated against BlackBerry customers by refusing to make its streaming movie service available to them.
Chen believes BlackBerry is a leader for content and application neutrality and pushes U.S. government officials to require these same neutral practices from the Canadian company’s competitors. “Neutrality must be mandated at the application and content layer if we truly want a free, open and non-discriminatory internet,” writes Chen.
Chen’s comments have unsurprisingly been met with ridicule by developers who don’t wish to be forced to create apps for platforms where they do not expect worthwhile returns, and many observers have suggested BlackBerry should focus its efforts on creating a compelling ecosystem that would attract users and apps organically.
Apple has historically been quiet on broader issues of net neutrality. The Cupertino company was noticeably absent from a list of more than 100 technology companies which signed a letter protesting a proposed change in FCC rules that would allow for Internet fast lanes for certain types of content. Speculation has suggested Apple’s absence may be related to its interest in securing priority access with Internet providers for media content delivered by the company.
T-Mobile will offer its best deals to customers who pay their bills on time
T-Mobile will begin a new program starting on January 25 it calls Smartphone Equality. The effort will give customers of the wireless carriers their best deals on its smartphones and tablets, regardless of their credit score, if they have paid their bills for at least 12 straight months.
T-Mobile will offer its best deals to customers who pay their bills on time
T-Mobile will begin a new program starting on January 25 it calls Smartphone Equality. The effort will give customers of the wireless carriers their best deals on its smartphones and tablets, regardless of their credit score, if they have paid their bills for at least 12 straight months.
Accessory of the Day: Jawbone Up activity tracker, $49.99
Trying to get fit? The Jawbone Up adds activity tracking capabilities to any Android smartphone to help you lose weight and monitor sleep habits. For just $49.99 (Prime) and a variety of colors to choose from, this is a great buy for those new health goals.
Join Prime and get this deal with FREE two-day shipping!
Also worth checking out:
The post Accessory of the Day: Jawbone Up activity tracker, $49.99 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Can Samsung really ditch Qualcomm completely?
Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Samsung will drop the Snapdragon 810 from the Galaxy S 6 in favor of the Exynos. Utilizing the Exynos is no surprise, but the fact that they would use it for all device variants is.
As you know, the Exynos processor is Samsung’s own processor, so one would think that Samsung would want to use it exclusively. However due to possible supply issues and/or the fact that it doesn’t play well with LTE, Samsung has always used Qualcomm Snapdragon processors for many regions.
However, there has been a lot of press on the Snapdragon 810 overheating, and Bloomberg’s report seems plausible based on that, but the question is if Samsung can really pull it off? The Galaxy S 6 is Samsung’s flagship, and they can’t fool around here. At the same time, they might not have a choice if the Snapdragon 810 is indeed overheating. At the same time, there is no guarantee that Samsung would be able to get the Exynos chip ready to cover all devices. Either way, there could be issues, so maybe they will just stay homegrown to better manage it.
However, ZDNet is now reporting that analysts believe that Samsung will not be able to completely eliminate Qualcomm. They believe there was an issue, but Qualcomm has solved it, and as a result, there is a 2 to 3 month delay. The belief is that the Galaxy S 6 will launch on time in Korea, but shipments to other regions will be delayed to catch up with Qualcomm. There was also another report last week that said that Samsung will actually use the Exynos for most of the early shipments, but transition to the Snapdragon as it becomes available.
This is going to be a very interesting situation. I wouldn’t be surprised if Samsung never mentions the processor brand in any of the press materials when they unveil the Galaxy S 6 in March. This is a very crucial year for Samsung, and they cannot afford production delays or product complaints from customers.
source: ZDNet
Come comment on this article: Can Samsung really ditch Qualcomm completely?
Sony launches Purple Diamond Edition Xperia Z3 in Hong Kong
Purple your favourite color? Like the look of the Xperia Z3? Then Sony’s new Purple Diamond Edition Z3 will certainly appeal to your tastes. Unfortunately, you will have to live in Hong Kong and have a spare HK$4998, about USD$645, lying around before you can get your hands on one.
Sony had offered some previous Xperia Z smartphone models in purple right from release in certain regions, but perhaps the color wasn’t popular enough to warrant a global release this time around.
Although there aren’t any actual diamonds hammered into the smartphone’s case, Sony has thrown in a small selection of new themes for free with this edition of the Xperia Z3 as well. They all originate from various Disney movies, including one for the hugely popular Frozen film, as well as Cinderella and Mickey And Friends themes. Sony has also included an amethyst phone strap in the package, for color co-ordination and what have you.
Other than that, the Purple Diamond Edition is exactly the same as the regular Xperia Z3, featuring a 5.2-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3GB RAM, and a 20.7 MP camera.
The very purple Sony flagship will go on sale in Hong Kong on January 31st.
AIVAnet 