Facebook is positioning itself as a mobile-first social network, so its interest in the moves of major smartphone companies is natural. BlackBerry is a sinking ship searching desperately for a rescue, so its turning to any major mobile player as a potential savior—again, a natural move. But if Facebook buys BlackBerry, it would be the company's craziest move ever.
BlackBerry executives reportedly flew to California last week to meet with Facebook and see if the social network has any interest in bailing out the struggling smartphone maker. BlackBerry in September tentatively struck a $4.7 billion deal to go private, but it's still considering third-party bids. The deadline for those bids is Monday.
The appeal for Facebook is obvious—a giant smartphone maker with no debts and a still-popular messaging system needs help. According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook might be after BlackBerry's security and smartphone patents, which are worth somewhere in the ballpark of $1 billion to $3 billion. But the social network should think twice before making an offer.
Michael HomnickBlackBerry's Q10 earned solid reviews, but fizzled in sales.
Michael Homnick
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon