Samsung launches first Tizen OS smartphone in India

Samsung today launched here the first smartphone powered by its own Tizen operating system to rival Google's dominant Android platform -- making India the first country for this global launch.
Samsung Z1 - with 3G capability and a liquid-crystal display - is priced at Rs 5,700 and targets first-time smartphone buyers.
"The smartphone market in India is rapidly evolving, with many consumers using their device as their screen of choice for content including videos, television programs and video games, as well as a range of apps," Samsung India Electronics President and CEO Hyun Chil Hong told reporters here.
The world's largest mobilephone maker has released a series of devices powered by Tizen, including cameras, smartwatches and a prototype television, but has struggled to develop a Tizen-powered smartphone.

Samsung developed Tizen with Huawei Technologies and Intel Corp to challenge the Android software that powers most of the world's mobile devices.
It had on several occasions last year tried to launch a Tizen smartphone in Japan, France, Russia and India but every time balked at the last minute citing a lack of support from carriers and app developers.

This time around, it overcame that and decided to sell phone directly through its retail networks and using web versions of Facebook and Twitter.
One of its most affordable smartphones, the Z1 will see Samsung offer localised entertainment apps and a simple user interface with the Tizen OS.

Currently, only a few devices, including Samsung's smartwatch products run on the Tizen platform. A majority of Samsung's mobile phones are Android-based, which is also the dominant OS on most smartphones across the globe.
The Samsung official said Samsung Z1 has been customised to meet entertainment-focused needs of local Indian consumers for a personal and reliable mobile experience.
The dual SIM device is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB RAM and 4GB internal memory expandable up to 64GB. It features four-inch display, 3.1 MP rear and a VGA front camera and 1,500 mAh battery.
The device was showcased at the Tizen Developer Conference in San Francisco last year.

Previously, Samsung ran 'Bada' OS, which did not see much success. It has since been working on merging the platform with Tizen, which is backed by chipmaker Intel.
The other popular operating systems include Apple iOS, Microsoft's Windows Phone OS and BlackBerry's proprietary platform.