Samsung Electronics Co Ltd released its first smartphone featuring its self-developed Tizen operating system in India, marking a push to reduce its reliance on Googles Android.
The Samsung Z1, featuring 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB of RAM and up to 64GB of memory, was released in New Delhi on Wednesday and it sells for 5 700 rupees. The device is targeted at first-time smartphone consumers with its user-friendly interface on a 4-inch display.
The move is a step in the right direction for the worlds largest smartphone maker in order to remove its dependency on rival Googles Android, which comes with Samsungs flagship Galaxy devices.
“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,” said Mr. Hyun Chil Hong, President and CEO of Samsung India Electronics.
The better half of all consumers in India do not own a smartphone, despite the country being the third-largest market for smartphones. A spokeswoman for the company said that Samsung is not yet certain whether the device would be made available in any other markets.
Samsung is also launching its Tizen Store, similar to Google play, but providing far less applications to choose from. The company said Z1 users would be able to browse and download more than 1 000 application available at its store. The smartphone will also sell with pre-installed programs supported by services like Amazon, Facebook and Twitter among others.
Samsung have previously tried to release a Tizen-powered smartphone in other markets, including Japan, France and Russia. However, the South Korean companys efforts were not so successful as all of its partners, backing the launch, have pulled out of the agreement, citing low interest from developers and mobile carriers towards the operating system.
Finally Samsung has released its first Tizen smartphone as a move towards building a platform to rival Android and iOS. The task however, will be difficult to achieve as Googles and Apples operating systems powered 95.8% of all smartphones sold during the fourth quarter of 2014, according to technology researcher Gartner.
Samsung have also implemented the Tizen operating system on various electronics, including smartwatches and cameras. During the latest Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the company also unveiled its latest Tizen-powered device, the smart TV.
Samsung gained 0.45% on Wednesday and closed at ₩1 345 000 in Seoul, marking a one-year increase of 3.4%. The company is valued at ₩217.25 trillion.
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