Apple teamed up with Twitter to integrate the social networking service into iOS 5 when it debuted last year, but according to a new report, the two companies may soon take things a step further. According to sources speaking to the New York Times, Apple has spoken with Twitter recently about a "strategic investment" in the company. It's said that Apple has considered investments somewhere in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The two companies have reportedly spoken sometime in recent months, though they are not currently in negotiations. The NYT also notes that it's possible that no agreement will be reached between Apple and Twitter.
Apple tried its hand at the social networking game when it launched Ping back in September 2010, but the service never really gained much traction, and it's now expected to be killed off in the next major version of iTunes. While Apple's investment in Twitter likely wouldn't end up being huge financially for either firm, it could end up meaning that Apple devices could see even tighter integration with Twitter, and I'm sure that Apple wouldn't mind learning a thing or two about how to be more social from Twitter. It's not clear if or when we'll hear more details about this potential Apple investment in Twitter, but this is definitely something that we'll be keeping an eye on going forward. What do you all make of this news? Do you think an investment in Twitter would be a smart move for Apple?
UPDATE: Shortly after the New York Times posted its report, the Wall Street Journal came out with its own claims about the news. The WSJ's source says that Apple has indeed discussed an investment in Twitter, the talks happened over a year ago and that there aren't currently any discussions between the two firms.
