Samsung to reduce dependence on Google with first Tizen phone
SAMSUNG will launch its first smartphone running its own Tizen mobile software instead of Google’s Android platform.
The South Korean firm will officially announce the Samsung Z, which comes with a 4.8in high-definition display and offers features such as a fingerprint sensor, in San Francisco today.
The phone will first be made available in Russia sometime in the July to September period with other markets to follow, but Samsung has not specified which markets. “The Samsung Z integrates the power and adaptability of the Tizen platform, enabling users to browse the web faster and utilise applications more effectively,” said DJ Lee, Samsung Mobile’s head of global sales and marketing, yesterday.
The majority of Samsung’s mobile devices are based on Google’s Android platform.
The push to develop its own operating system is part of efforts to reduce dependence on the search giant, but delays in the development of the software have undercut expectations.