It may have taken longer than everyone expected, but the first Samsung Tizen smartphone is here . In a curiously timed launch late Sunday evening, the Korean electronics giant announced the ‘Samsung Z’ and it is a beast.
Specifications
The Samsung Z goes head-to-head with some of the most powerful phones on the market. It packs a 4.9in Super AMOLED display, 2.3GHz quad core Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of native memory with a microSD card expansion slot, 4G compatibility and NFC. The Samsung Z also has a fingerprint sensor built into the home button and heart rate monitor on the back to match the Samsung Galaxy S5.
There are some compromises. Samsung has, somewhat surprisingly, cut back the display’s native resolution to 1280 x 720 pixels (compared to 1920 x 1080p ‘Full HD’ on its Galaxy S4 and S5) and the camera also has a lower 8 megapixel lens with 2.1 megapixels on the front. Meanwhile a 2600mAh battery is slightly down on the 2800mAh capacity in the Galaxy S5, but given the phone drives a lower resolution screen it is likely to last longer.
Samsung is also aping the feel of its premium Galaxy line with a faux-leather back, though the squarer look of the phone is a departure.
The Operating System
But the headline feature is the operating system. Tizen 2.2.1 is the phone’s platform and it will feel eerily familiar to Samsung Android smartphone owners as it has the same look thanks to the shared TouchWiz interface and compatibility with Android apps. Given it is not Android, the phone will not have access to the Google GOOGL -0.24% Play Store, but Samsung will see that as an opportunity to make an impact with its own store.
The fact Tizen is more than two years old and has reached version 2.2.1 prior to hitting any handsets is testament to Samsung’s investment in the platform and determination to get it right from the off. In its official press release the company stressed its “optimal performance” and “improved memory management” which Samsung president and head of global sales and marketing DJ Lee said is “enabling users to browse the web faster and utilize applications more effectively.” Yes, you can take that as a subtle dig at Android.
Availability
Interestingly the Samsung Z will debut in Russia first before expanding to other markets. Samsung states a fairly wide Q3 timeframe for launch and will be ramping up developer campaigns for native Tizen apps in the meantime. The price of the Samsung Z remains under wraps, but it will be in the company’s interest to make it highly competitive.
Furthermore, though nitpickers will rightly point out that the Galaxy Z doesn’t quite measure up to the hardware of the Galaxy S5, it is power packed compared to the budget models which typically launch with new mobile platforms and as such is a significant statement of intent.
The Tizen Revolution
It is also the most high profile addition to a quiet revolution. While it may be the first Tizen smartphone, Samsung has already released the Tizen-based Galaxy Gear 2 and recently updated the original Galaxy Gear to run Tizen instead of Android. Meanwhile Samsung’s first Tizen smart TVs were also announced this month with a plan to be on sale before the end of the year.
Samsung has been trying to break free of the Android ecosystem for some time and having failed with a previous platform (Bada, now rolled into Tizen) it looks like it might now be a four way battle for the dominant mobile operating system . Having received a smack down, Samsung is now responding in style. forbes.com
Specifications
The Samsung Z goes head-to-head with some of the most powerful phones on the market. It packs a 4.9in Super AMOLED display, 2.3GHz quad core Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of native memory with a microSD card expansion slot, 4G compatibility and NFC. The Samsung Z also has a fingerprint sensor built into the home button and heart rate monitor on the back to match the Samsung Galaxy S5.
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| Samsung Launches First Tizen Phone And It Is A Beast |
Samsung is also aping the feel of its premium Galaxy line with a faux-leather back, though the squarer look of the phone is a departure.
 |
| Samsung Launches First Tizen Phone And It Is A Beast |
But the headline feature is the operating system. Tizen 2.2.1 is the phone’s platform and it will feel eerily familiar to Samsung Android smartphone owners as it has the same look thanks to the shared TouchWiz interface and compatibility with Android apps. Given it is not Android, the phone will not have access to the Google GOOGL -0.24% Play Store, but Samsung will see that as an opportunity to make an impact with its own store.
The fact Tizen is more than two years old and has reached version 2.2.1 prior to hitting any handsets is testament to Samsung’s investment in the platform and determination to get it right from the off. In its official press release the company stressed its “optimal performance” and “improved memory management” which Samsung president and head of global sales and marketing DJ Lee said is “enabling users to browse the web faster and utilize applications more effectively.” Yes, you can take that as a subtle dig at Android.
 |
| Samsung Launches First Tizen Phone And It Is A Beast |
Interestingly the Samsung Z will debut in Russia first before expanding to other markets. Samsung states a fairly wide Q3 timeframe for launch and will be ramping up developer campaigns for native Tizen apps in the meantime. The price of the Samsung Z remains under wraps, but it will be in the company’s interest to make it highly competitive.
Furthermore, though nitpickers will rightly point out that the Galaxy Z doesn’t quite measure up to the hardware of the Galaxy S5, it is power packed compared to the budget models which typically launch with new mobile platforms and as such is a significant statement of intent.
 |
| Samsung Launches First Tizen Phone And It Is A Beast |
It is also the most high profile addition to a quiet revolution. While it may be the first Tizen smartphone, Samsung has already released the Tizen-based Galaxy Gear 2 and recently updated the original Galaxy Gear to run Tizen instead of Android. Meanwhile Samsung’s first Tizen smart TVs were also announced this month with a plan to be on sale before the end of the year.
Samsung has been trying to break free of the Android ecosystem for some time and having failed with a previous platform (Bada, now rolled into Tizen) it looks like it might now be a four way battle for the dominant mobile operating system . Having received a smack down, Samsung is now responding in style. forbes.com
