Samsung reportedly eyes BlackBerry for a takeover (update: BlackBerry denies it)

BlackBerry's still clawing its way back into mobile relevance, but that's not stopping Samsung from a takeover attempt, according to Reuters. Samsung execs recently met with their BlackBerry counterparts and reportedly offered as much as $7.5 billion for the Canadian firm, sources say. Samsung's particularly interested in the company's precious patent portfolio. Of course, the deal would also instantly make the Korean electronics giant a major player among enterprise customers, as well as auto companies relying on BlackBerry's QNX connected car platform. A takeover would be less ideal for BlackBerry -- after all, it was a smartphone pioneer before it got blindsided by the massive success of the iPhone and Android. It's slimmed down and refocused its business to stay afloat, but if the Passport is the best BlackBerry has got, perhaps it might be better off finding a rich suitor.

Update: BlackBerry just issued a statement saying it "has not engaged in discussions with Samsung with respect to any possible offer to purchase BlackBerry." That's more definitive than the typical "no comment" statement we get from these sorts of rumors, but there's still a chance execs met informally to discuss a possible takeover.