Samsung confirms Tizen smartphones to go on sale in 2013
updated 10:44 am EST, Thu January 3, 2013
Confirms earlier reports of Tizen OS handset development
Samsung has confirmed it will be making Tizen-based devices, with the first of the range expected later this year. The announcement comes shortly after reports surfaced at the end of 2012, claiming the manufacturer was working with NTT DoCoMo Vodafone, and Intel to ship a handset in Japan, followed by other Asian and European regions shortly afterwards.
A statement e-mailed to Bloomberg Businessweek from Samsung said "We plan to release new, competitive Tizen devices within this year and will keep expanding the lineup depending on market conditions." Specific models and timings were not offered as part of the statement.
Tizen is an operating system that is hoped by some parties to offer manufacturers and mobile carriers the option to develop services custom for their devices or network, citing the restrictions that Android imposes on developers. With Tizen being seen as a "truly open project and governance structure," it could give network operators the option to provide highly-specialized services, such as private app stores or music streaming apps, that can be exclusive to the network, while also providing access to existing Android apps through Open Mobile's Application Compatibility Layer.
It has previously been suggested that the initial Tizen product releases could help Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo reverse its current trend of subscriber numbers leaving for other networks to get the iPhone being higher than that of new contracts being taken out. A version of the Samsung Galaxy S III running Tizen has also been spotted undergoing Wi-Fi certification, and could end up being the first Tizen release.
