In the year 2013, around 255 968 million (as per Gartner) smartphones were sold all over the globe, out of which 80% were powered by Android operating system. Out of this 80%, Samsung captured impressive 30% of all Android based smartphone sales, clearly becoming the market leader in this segment.
Although it was excellent news for the smartphone manufacturer, but something was troubling Samsung: Its dependence on Google owned Android.
Today, this dependence will be somewhat lessened as Samsung has announced world’s first Tizen powered smartphone: Samsung Z.
And some of the technology enthusiasts are describing this smartphone as a beast.
Some of the hardware configurations as shared till now:
- 4.8 inches HD display
- 2.3 GHz Quad Core Processor from unnamed manufacturer
- 8 Mega pixel Rear Camera
- 2.1 Mega Pixel Front Camera
- 2 GB RAM
- 16 GB Internal Memory (expandable upto 64 GB)
- 2600 mAh battery
Why Samsung Has Ditched Android This Time?
Besides smartphones and tablets, Samsung manufactures almost every electronic gadget imaginable: TV, DVD Players, Washing Machines, Digital cameras etc. One thing which is common with all electronic gadgets is the operating system which can control it.
Hence, Samsung started research into this new OS which can control all electronic devices with a single command button, something like a universal remote. Moreover, Android is Google owned and controlled (even though it is open source), and Samsung cant rely on Android for powering every gadget they manufacture. It will hamper their profit margins and convert them into Google dependent manufacture, which they don’t want to be.
What is Tizen?
Tizen is a Linux based open source programming language created by an association comprising Samsung, Intel, Huawei, Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic, KT Corporation, Sprint Corporation, SK Telecom, Orange, NTT DoCoMo, and Vodafone. Tizen has been developed to power a host of electronic devices such as smartphone, tablet, digital camera, wearable gadgets etc. In short, Tizen can support a whole eco-system of gadgets, and precisely this is the grand scheme of Samsung: to support a platform of gadgets eco-system.
In October 2013, Samsung’s NX300M smart camera became the first consumer product to be powered by Tizen. In the same month, Systena shipped their tablets powered by Tizen OS, in Japan. Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch, launched in April, 2014 is also powered by Tizen OS.
The full specifications of this new smartphone and it’s launch would be formally happen at the Tizen Developer Conference in San Francisco, which is scheduled to start today (June 3, 2014). As of now, this smartphone would be launched in Russia.
Comments from Editor (Arun Prabhudesai):
From a global smartphone ecosystem perspective, this development augurs quite well. Currently, smartphone OS is dominated by only 2 players, Android & iOS, with Android taking lion’s share of it. For the ecosystem to see healthy innovation and growth, it needs more players who can offer different flavours of OSes.
Monopoly is never good and Android’s monopoly has been quite difficult to break as is evident from lack of Windows Phone sales. A giant like Microsoft is also not able to make inroads into OS market. However, if there is anyone who has the best chance of breaking the monopoly, it is Samsung given the large smartphone handset market share they have.
From the initial comments that have come in, Tizen seems to be a very competitive Smartphone Operating system. It is evident that Samsung has spend lot of money and effort on the OS, given the fact that has been development for over couple of years before it made it on any handset.
I am looking forward to see how Tizen is received by general public at large!
Do you think that Tizen would be able to stand out as an alternative to Android? Will Samsung break away from Android OS completely? Do share your opinions by commenting right here!
