Yesterday when Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg met with executives from Samsung to pitch a new Facebook phone, we concluded such a collaboration was improbable. New reports today from unidentified insiders close to the discussions indicate Samsung is unlikely to take up Facebook’s quest to become the “second Google.” The insider hints that Samsung already sees Google as a rival in the smartphone market and does not want to “nurture” yet another competitor. The sense of Google being a rival, instead of a partner, appears to stem from the belief that Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility last year has the two titans on a collision course for market share.
Besides not opening any new financial doors for Samsung, a partnership with Facebook to produce a new handset could have a negative impact on Samsung. After being widely panned, Facebook’s Home launcher could be seen as a downgrade relative to the image Samsung is trying to present. Samsung is also working on initiatives like Tizen, which would probably give it much more control over the user experience than what they would achieve in a partnership with Facebook.
Samsung has not yet offered any official word regarding the nature of the meeting or their response to Zuckerberg’s entreaties.
source: The Korea Herald
via: phoneArena
