Samsung has announced their intention of
launching multiple handsets in 2013 powered by the new Tizen mobile OS.
In a statement issued to Bloomberg, the Korea based phone maker said,
“We plan to release new, competitive Tizen devices within this year and
will keep expanding the line-up depending on market conditions.”
Tizen is a Linux-based open-source
operating system that can be used to power mobile phones and other
devices such as smart TVs and in-vehicle entertainment systems. The
Tizen standard is jointly governed by Intel and Samsung and was
established in 2011 after Intel joined the project in September of that
year.
Analysts close to Bloomberg have pointed
out that Samsung's move may be a result of Google's increasing interest
in mobile hardware highlighted by its acquisition of Motorola Mobility
which made it important for the Korean company to reduce its dependence
on the Android mobile OS. Intel has also made it clear that they are
focussing heavily on the mobile and tablet segments and have already
launched the Xolo X900 mobile phone, in collaboration with Lava.
Android has helped Samsung become the
largest phone maker in the world and helped push its handsets such as
the Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S III and the Galaxy Note, to the peak of
the popularity charts. However, Samsung has had problems popularizing
home-brewed mobile operating systems before, as evidenced by the Bada
OS, that has yet to see widespread adoption. Also, Tizen will have to
face immense competition from not only Android and iOS but also Windows
Phone and Blackberry OS, both of which are expected to introduce
wholesale changes in the upcoming iterations of their mobile operating
systems.
Sources: Bloomberg, Wikipedia