BlackBerry might no longer be a relevant name in the consumer-facing smartphone space, but that hasn’t stopped speculation surrounding potential takeover bids.
With a number of high-profile rivals having previously been tipped to be considering a BlackBerry buyout – including Apple – new reports have claimed the Canadian manufacturer is being eyed-up by some of the industry’s biggest players.
Citing unnamed insiders, Chinese rumour monger DigiTimes has suggested that the likes of Microsoft, Xiaomi and Huawei are all looking to table bids for a BlackBerry takeover.
What’s more, on the back of its recent Motorola acquisition,
No formal bids have yet been placed, with BlackBerry having recently announced its first quarterly profits in a number of years after serious corporate restructuring.
Related: BlackBerry Passport review
It has been suggested that while Microsoft is looking to further boost its smartphone standing on the back of last year’s Nokia takeover, the trio of Chinese firms are all looking to BlackBerry as a means of improving their North American efforts.
BlackBerry’s extensive patents collection is also believed to be at the heart of the proposed takeover plans.
None of the company’s in question have yet to comment on the reports. As such, we would suggest taking these claims with a pinch of salt.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
