According to a report by Reuters, Samsung’s first Tizen Smartphone will launch by the end of the second quarter (Q2) in 2014. We would be looking at two models being released, a high-end model and a “middle of the market” handset to help drive volume sales. A top Samsung Executive, Yoon Han-kil, senior vice president of Samsung’s product strategy team, said Samsung was working to introduce at least two smartphones running on its own Tizen operating system, which will lessen their reliance on Google’s Android OS.
“We had tried to launch (Tizen) with DoCoMo and Orange … but couldn’t because of poor market conditions. We have changed our strategy and will release the phones in a few countries where we can do well,” he said, adding that he thought Tizen would have to account for up to 15 percent of Samsung’s total smartphone shipments to become a successful platform.
Now that we have the Samsung Gear 2 / Gear 2 Neo Smartwatches on sale, it will be easier to introduce another Tizen device that will help grow the Tizen ecosystem as a whole, that will help Samsung generate its own revenue from sales.
Android has recently announced its own plans for wearables with Android Wear, which comes at a time that Samsung has introduced Tizen in its Gear range. Samsung does want its Tizen Gear Smartwatches to eventually become compatible with Android handsets from other manufacturers as well. Yoon did state that Samsung would be releasing an Android based Smartwatch later this year.
The timing for a Tizen Smartphone release by the end of June fits in perfectly with the Tizen Developer Conference 2014 which will take in San Francisco June 2-4, as now the Tizen community can rally around a Tizen Smartwatch and also a potential Tizen Smartphone.
Bring it on …….
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