July 16, 2014

After coming out with its impressive, Android-based, Galaxy Gear smartwatch, Samsung then switched gears (quite literally!) and started adding to the Gear line of smartwatch models; this time, powered by its own Tizen OS. The device that received the most hype, though, was the Tizen-powered Samsung Z, which was announced in early June this year, during the Tizen Developer Conference at San Francisco.


The company had further announced that the smartphone would be officially launched on June 10 this year, at the Tizen Developer Summit in Moscow. Russia was supposedly the first market to receive the device during the third quarter of this year. However, there is yet no news about the device and no one seems to know anything about the available of the much-awaited Samsung Z.

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Release of Tizen Phone Postponed

The participants at Samsung’s conference must undoubtedly have been waiting for the unveiling of this phone, which had already been delayed in the past. However, the company stated that it would be hitting the Russian market at a later time – there was no release date mentioned either. It is believed that the decision of postponing the launch of the smartphone was taken just a few days before the conference. Incidentally, the release of the device had first been postponed way back in January this year, when the Japanese mobile carrier, NTT DoCoMo, had pulled out, at the very last moment, from its commitment to co-release Tizen devices.

Though the Korean giant did not offer any details or clarification on the cancellation, it did state that Tizen-powered handsets would arrive on time in the Russian market. There was some speculation among the attendees of the conference that the release was stayed, probably due to the fact that the Tizen store did contain enough apps to show at the time of the launch.

Tizen for App Developers

At the developer event at Russia, the company claimed that the Tizen OS would prove to be very beneficial for app developers, as it would help them get much more exposure in the Tizen store, than a regular, far more saturated, app store. Dmitry Anosov, a Samsung executive, said, “The most obvious advantage is that you will be at the top in a half-empty store on a decent premium device.”

Besides mobile phones, Samsung is believed to be planning to release an entire range of connected Tizen-run devices, from home appliances, security devices, door locks, watches and so on, which would be designed so as to communicate with each other in the future.

Will Samsung Keep its Promise?

Samsung may yet manage to release its Tizen-run Z smartphone in Q3 2014. While the delay in its launch could give developers more time to create software for the platform, the move could also prove to be counter-productive, as it could appear to be a less viable platform, thereby actually discouraging them from associating with it.

Russia is one of the lesser-saturated markets, and therefore, is more suitable for a new OS such as Tizen to make its entry. Samsung is undergoing a difficult struggle to make its presence felt even in this smaller market. The company would definitely find it even more difficult in the West, where Android and iOS are and will continue to remain the undisputed leaders of the pack.

In the meantime, we await further updates on the release of the Tizen OS….