No use in denying that I was surprised by all the information but maybe not as much as many other analysts. In Dutch we have a saying that if it takes too long it might by postponed to eternity. (Van uitstel komt afstel). And it’s that tantalizing delay that has kept us waiting, scouring the web for a snippet of news as well as trying to read behind the words.
So, it appears that Samsung bails out. But out of what exactly? Of Tizen? Actually that’s quite unlikely as a lot of efforts have been made to use it as a new OS for not too-smart machines like fridges and camera to enable those to get smarter. Which spells a need for lean processors and smart coding to get an optimum result.
And that creates a rift. A rift between the relative simplicity of a fridge (and not so simple workings of a camera) and the increasing demands on an OS for tablets, smartphones and phablets. Frankly, that’s a different league. A smartphone that can be the mastermind of a 2016 smart workstation where essential information on your smartphone (way beyond simple settings) will enable you to manipulate massive documents like editing a video.
To me that rift became clear when I started editing for tizenexperts. Many hours of comparing pros and contras, the markets Samsung is serving and the future of mobile devices versus say, the fridge. Or a home climate controlling system.
Then of course there was, or rather is, the difficulty of serving markets that are both massive but also where the lack of money is a serious issue. Where 4HS screens are nice to have but where a 2010 smartphone would still be “local standard”. Like inland China and India where 400$ either pay you a smartphone or several months of living. Markets that will benefit from mass producers that can supply relatively cheap, and light, smartphones. Phones that would be outclassed in almost every aspect bar price and reliability.
Taking over Motorola by Lenovo and settling patent issues with Android/Google (and Lenovo?) will enable Samsung to focus on high end and high yielding smart-phones, tables and Stokens (Samsung smart phone /phablet that can be used as a token to personalize a smart workstation and unlock apps> Remember where you read it first.
As you can understand, the news, or rather the news we have not heard, the iron clad statements of companies like Samsung and Intel, has given us as editors a lot to think about. The lack of that information might also be seen as a massive teaser to get all eyes focussed on Barcelona’s MWC 2014. Will Samsung confirm al the noise and speculations or will they put an hat on the table, a magic wand and show us the Tizen Galaxy range?
I have it from the horses mouth that a tizen device was to be unveiled. Not by Samsung but by a competitor, even maybe several devices from several competitors.
Time will tell.
But remember, Tizen goes beyond phones. It’s to power devices like fridges and cameras but also on in car systems.
Tizen isn’t dead and buried. It’s resilient, strong and versatile. Just maybe less dominated by Samsungs smartphone division. We’ll know a lot more in a few days over three weeks from now, February 23!
Keep tuned!
(This column represents the authors’ opinion only. It is based on rationale rather than on news.)
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