14 DAY TRIAL // Google is pondering a new acquisition that could force Apple fans to adopt yet another service from the search giant, sources say. WhatsApp Messenger is said to be the product they’re eyeing, and the purchase sum is a mind-boggling $1 billion (or close to €770 million).
“Messaging app WhatsApp is in the negotiating phase over prices with Google in what could be Google’s next billion dollar acquisition,” according to an inside source quoted by Digital Trends.
WhatsApp has been “playing hardball” for a few weeks now to get the price climbing, the source added.
Communications services are some of the most profitable on the planet, and WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging services out there.
It makes sense for Google to want to buy it, but it remains to be seen whether the deal will eventually go through.
More important for Apple’s customers is that they’re beginning to rack up a lot of Google services on their iOS home screens. Which is not necessarily a good thing.
Not only are iPhone users stuck with Google Maps for admittedly more reliable directions, but they will probably have to download a new version of WhatsApp Messenger as well. Hopefully, it will get better when Google buys it.
Last year, after cutting off ties to the official YouTube installment in iOS, Apple forced customers (who wanted the official YouTube on iOS 6.1) to download a third-party YouTube app from Google.
If the ad-filled YouTube app is any indication, a Google-owned WhatsApp Messenger may not be the most visually appealing experience.
Also worth noting is that WhatsApp Inc. was said to be considering a new subscription service for iOS customers. We should also hope that with this Google acquisition the service will become completely free of charge.
Update: false alarm, folks.