Despite earlier rumors to the contrary, Samsung is not considering buying the struggling smartphone marker Research In Motion (RIM), the company has said.
Rumors swirled Tuesday after the technology blog Boy Genius Report, citing an unnamed source, reported that Samsung was interested in RIM. But Samsung said the rumors are untrue—emphatically stating that it has no plans to purchase the Canada-based BlackBerry maker.
"Media reports of Samsung Electronics' buyout of Research in Motion are not true," a Samsung spokesman said in an email. "Samsung it not considering the acquisition of RIM."
According to the BGR report, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie was meeting with companies that might be interested in buying all or part of the Canadian firm, and was pushing hard for a Samsung acquisition. Shares of RIM jumped more than 10 percent on Tuesday following the news.
BGR said Samsung is seeking between $12 billion and $15 billion for a full sale, though analysts value such a buy at no more than $8.5 million.
RIM's share of the smartphone market consistently dropped throughout 2011, falling from 13 percent in the first quarter to just 6 percent in October and November, according to data released at the Consumer Electronic Show by the NPD Group. For the year overall, RIM took the third spot in the smartphone market, behind Google, maker of the Android and Apple, which makes the iPhone.