Tizen Coming ...
... as an Android Alternative.
tizenassociation.org
>> Samsung to launch Tizen device in August/September 2013
Tim Ferguson
GSMA Mobile World Live
15th March 2013
mobileworldlive.com
Samsung plans to launch a high-end smartphone powered by the open source Tizen mobile platform in August or September this year, reports Bloomberg.
“The Tizen phone will be out in August or September, and this will be in the high-end category. The device will be the best product equipped with the best specifications,” said executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, Lee Young Hee, during an interview in Seoul.
Samsung is one of 12 companies developing Tizen as an alternative to Android. The South Korean tech giant, along with operators Orange and Docomo, said last month that they plan to “commercialise Tizen devices in the second half of 2013”.
The Tizen 2.0 Magnolia SDK and source code was released to developers, operators and OEMs last month.
The largest smartphone manufacturer in the world in terms of shipments, Samsung launched its current smartphone flagship, the Galaxy S4, in New York yesterday.
Google was not referred to at the unveiling, taken by some as a sign that the company is downplaying its reliance on Android ahead of the launch of a Tizen device.
Smartphones using Android made up 96 per cent of Samsung’s shipments in the third quarter of 2012, according data from Bloomberg Industries. ###
>> Docomo, Orange and Samsung promise 2013 Tizen launches
Steve Costello
GSMA Mobile World Live
27th February 2013
mobileworldlive.com
NTT Docomo and Orange announced plans to “commercialise Tizen devices in the second half of 2013”, with handset number one Samsung confirming that it plans to offer smartphones powered by the OS this year.
In a statement, the Tizen Association said that Samsung has been working with operators and content partners in launch territories, in order to offer “a combination of global and local content in each market”.
Noting that 250 partners and ecosystem players had gathered in Barcelona, the Tizen Association also said that executives from NTT Docomo, Orange and Samsung, as well as Huawei and Intel, had highlighted “the value of an open ecosystem”, and the importance of “customer choice and delivering valuable services to consumers”.
Earlier this month, the Tizen 2.0 Magnolia SDK and source code was released to developers, operators and OEMs. This was said to “represent a major milestone”, and include “many new features and improvements over previous versions”.
And as part of the Tizen Association’s focus on the ecosystem, it said that a Tizen Store will launch later this year with thousands of apps, “allowing developers to monetise their work and creating a robust ecosystem”.
“We are very excited about the new experience and openness of Tizen that will be brought to consumers this year. We will remain committed to open source based innovation and open to collaboration with the broader industry participants,” said Hankil Yoon, SVP at Samsung, and co-vice chairman of the Tizen Association. ###
- Eric - |
