Samsung’s Tizen Store Goes Global

Unless you live in India or Bangladesh, you can’t actually get your hands on a smartphone running Tizen, Samsung Electronics Co.’s homegrown alternative to the Android mobile operating system.

But starting this week, Samsung is throwing the doors of the Tizen app store open to most countries around the world.

The unusual worldwide launch of the Tizen Store suggests that the South Korean company has broader ambitions beyond India and Bangladesh, where the first Tizen phone has shown some initial signs of traction, according to people familiar with the matter.

That handset, a basic offering called the Samsung Z1, has been on sale since January for less than $100, and is aimed at users who may not even have a bank account.

But from the get-go, Samsung has been eyeing Tizen smartphone launches in other countries across Asia, part of a broader effort to help the fledgling operating system gain momentum.

Samsung has already released six smartwatches, four of them powered by Tizen. Earlier this year, Samsung’s co-chief executive B.K. Yoon said in an interview that every connected television manufactured by Samsung would run Tizen.

The centerpiece of any effort to build up Tizen as a plausible alternative to Google Inc.'s Android and Apple Inc.'s iOS will revolve around the app store.

As Microsoft Corp. and BlackBerry Ltd. can attest, building a rival to Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store — particularly one that is well-stocked with marquee services — is no easy task. For the time being, the Tizen Store doesn’t boast much in the way of big-name apps developed specifically for the platform.

That may explain why Samsung is quietly throwing open the app store first, and inviting developers to build apps that can theoretically reach the entire planet.

For the time being, Samsung isn’t offering any clues about its larger designs. It only confirmed in a statement that the Tizen Store can now be accessed in 182 countries, adding that “our plan for Tizen smarthones has not changed since the launch of the Z1.”

“We see a great potential in Tizen-based smartphone,” a company spokeswoman said.

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New software update for Samsung Z1 Tizen smartphones upgrades WhatsApp to latest version

Samsung has rolled out a new software update for Tizen-based Z1 smartphone users, which is available via OTA.

According to a TizenExperts report, users of the Samsung Z1 can check for the latest software update bearing version number Z130HDDU0BOD7. The update includes a new shortcut for WhatsApp as the messenger has been updated to version 2.11.17 (on 18 April).

Apart from the WhatsApp upgrade, it incorporates multiple bug fixes and enhances stability of the Z1. The update is seeding in the form of a 17.3MB size file.

It is currently live in India and is expected to reach Samsung Z1 Tizen-based smartphones across the world in the near future.

Samsung's Z1 is a low-end affordable smartphone, which is targeted primarily at first-time smartphone buyers. The handset comes with the following key technical specifications:

• 4in displays having resolutions of 800x480 pixels
• 1.2GHz dual-core processor
• Dual SIM-card support
• 768 MB RAM
• 4GB internal storage
• 3MP rear camera
• VGA front snapper
• 1,500 mAh battery

How to manually download and install the latest software update?

The update is available automatically via OTA, but can also be searched for manually and installed.

To manually search for the update, Z1 users need to follow the below steps:

1. Navigate to Settings
2. Tap About device
3. Tap Software update
4. Tap Check for updates.

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Branching Out : Tizen Smartphones to be Available in More Countries

Samsung Electronics is planning to release Tizen smartphones in various markets, including the United States, China, Korea, Russia, India, Malaysia, and European countries, in the second half of this year.

The new models include the Z2, which comes with a 1 GB RAM, a 32-bit quad-core CPU, a PLS TFT-LCD display panel with a resolution of 960×540, a 2,000 mAh battery and the New Tizen 3.0 UI.

The Z1, which was released before in a small number of countries such as India and Bangladesh, is a low-cost handset having a four-inch PLS WVGA panel with a resolution of 800×480, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, and 786 MB RAM. Priced at around 100,000 won (US$92.53), the phone was chosen by approximately 100,000 consumers during its first month in the market.

Meanwhile, most of those products to be available in the second half of 2015 are likely to be high-end ones with, for example, a 4.8 inch 720×1280 Super AMOLED display panel, 2 GB RAM, an 8 megapixel rear camera and a 2,500 mAh battery.

“Samsung Electronics is aiming to dominate the IoT platform market ahead of others by means of Tizen and its plan to release Tizen phones in more countries appears to be part of its efforts for Tizen ecosystem establishment, as with the incorporation of the operating system into various types of consumer electronics,” said an industry expert.

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Samsung Electronics Co Ltd To Launch Two New Tizen Phones, Undeterred By Initial Response

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KRX:005930)(KRX:005935) or under the US ADR, SAMSUNG ELECT LTD(F) (OTCMKTS:SSNLF), is working on two new models of Tizen smartphones to follow up on its Samsung Z1 device, which took too long to come to market. One of the phones is expected to be Z2, although the other device remains unnamed so far except the fact that it will target the global market.

Samsung’s Z2 device is expected to ship with 1GB of RAM, a 2000mAh battery and display of 960 x 540 pixels. The phone is expected to come to market by the first half of 2015, although it remains unclear when exactly that would happen. The other issue is that Z2 will target Indian market and a few others developing countries just like the Z1 smartphone.

Global Tizen phone

The other Tizen smartphone that Samsung is building is expected to target the global market, launching in the India, the U.S., China, Korea and the EU. The global Tizen handset is expected to ship with a 2600mAh battery, 2GB of RAM, 8-MP camera and 4.8-inch display. Obviously, the global Tizen phone will be nowhere near Samsung’s flagship’s, but impressive enough for an entry-level smartphone.

With Tizen, Samsung is targeting the budget market, a step that is expected to enable the company take on the dominance of Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL)’s Android OS in that market category. Additionally, Samsung should be able to bolster its war against China’s Xiaomi, which is currently giving it a run for its money at both the premium and low-cost smartphone markets.

Sluggish Z1 sales

So far, sales of Samsung’s first Tizen handset, Z1, have been poor at best notwithstanding the amount of time it took to bring the device to market. Despite the tepid performance of Z1 on the market since its launch in January, Samsung hopes that two new Tizen smartphones will be in order for its budget market campaign.

Samsung is currently rolling out its Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, which initially launched in 20 markets and are expected to sell 55 million units after one year.

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Samsung reportedly moving ahead with a pair of new Tizen phones

After lengthy delays and scaled back expectations, Samsung launched its low-cost Z1 handset in January; the company's first phone running on the Tizen mobile platform. Sales have been meager at best but that doesn't look like it will dissuade Samsung from moving forward with more Tizen handsets. A report on Wednesday says Samsung is working on not one, but two additional Tizen phones.

Tizen Experts shared the alleged details of the pair, with one unsurprisingly called the Samsung Z2 while the other phone is yet to be named. The site expects a more robust set of hardware compared to the Z1, including 1GB of memory, a quad-core processor -- most likely one of Samsung's own chips -- and higher resolution 540 x 960 touchscreen display.

A new user interface is expected that may have similarities to Samsung's new SUHD television software. Also expected is support for advanced HTML-based applications; Tizen Experts says there will be more "flexibility for various Platforms such as C++, HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, jQuery mobile, and EPL."

The second, unnamed handset is reportedly a global flagship device with 4.8-inch 720p display, 2GB of memory, and an 8-megapixel camera. Unlike the current Samsung Z1 Tizen phone which is largely aimed at emerging markets, this model would have widespread availability in regions where smartphone penetration is already high: Korea, the U.S. and EU, as well as growing markets such as China and India.

If the Samsung Z1 is a pre-cursor to these potentially new phones, it should tell Samsung that trying to create an attractive alternative to Apple iOS, Google Android or Microsoft Windows Phone is a daunting task at this point in time.

But it's really Samsung's only play to break free from Google Android, which has helped propel the company into the world's top seller of smartphones. That's because Samsung can't fork -- or build its own version of Android with unique Samsung services in lieu of Google's -- the Android platform due to its agreements with Google. I'm sure Samsung isn't thrilled by that and we know that the European Community isn't a fan either: That's one of the primary antitrust accusations the EC just made against Google.

That leaves Samsung only two choices. It can keep using Google Android and reap few of the software or app ecosystem rewards or it can try its hand selling phones that run Tizen. Neither is a good one, but the latter has little chance of success and may not be worth the cost.

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Samsung rumored to be working on a Tizen-based Z2, as well as a global Tizen smartphone

Samsung rumored to be working on a Tizen-based Z2, as well as a global Tizen smartphone
Following the somewhat successful launch of the Samsung Z1 in India and Bangladesh, Samsung is now rumored to be working on two new Tizen-based smartphones. One is expected to be called the Samsung Z2, the successor to the aforementioned handset, while the second is said to be a global Tizen smartphone with beefed up specs. Before going into the details, make sure to keep in mind that this is just a rumor, and that there's no concrete evidence to back up this information.

According to a new report, the Samsung Z2 will come with notable improvements over its predecessor. The rumored specs include an unnamed 32-bit quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM, a TFT-LCD display with a resolution of 540 by 960, and a 2,000mAh battery. On the software side, the Samsung Z2 is said to arrive with a new Tizen 3.0 UI, one that could draw inspiration from Samsung's Tizen-based TV sets. The Samsung Z2 is rumored to be launched in the second half of the year. At the moment, we don't have any information regarding the cameras, the processor model, or even the price of the upcoming Samsung Z2.

The second smartphone that Samsung is allegedly working on apparently doesn't have a name just yet, but the smartphone is said to be launched in multiple markets across the world, such as the US, China, South Korea, Russia, India, Malaysia, South Asia, and some countries in Europe. Unlike the entry-level Samsung Z1, the global Tizen smartphone is rumored to come with mid-range hardware specs, such as a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 720 by 1280 pixels (HD), 2GB of RAM, an 8MP primary camera, and a 2600 mAh battery. At the moment, no information is available regarding a potential release date or an estimated price for the first global Tizen smartphone from Samsung.

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Redbend Provides Over-the-Air Software Management Solutions for Samsung’s Tizen Smartphones

OTA Solution in Samsung Z1 Will Ensure Quick Updates and Complete Integrity

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Redbend, the company that catalyzes change in the connected world by keeping more than 2 billion automotive, IoT and mobile devices relevant, today announced it is providing its OTA updating solutions to Samsung Z1 powered by Tizen, an open source multi-platform.

“Our efforts in developing new technologies will continue to ensure that customers can leverage the new Tizen ecosystem more easily and quickly through our solutions.”

Redbend’s OTA updating solutions will enhance the reliability and performance of the platform and software on Samsung Tizen handsets. This latest collaboration strengthens the two companies’ long-existing partnership: When Samsung launched its first Android-powered smartphones, it adopted Redbend’s solutions to stabilize the platform and improve the performance of the company’s mobile devices.

Redbend’s Smart Delta technology delivers new features as well as application and operating system updates over the air to mobile phones and connected devices globally. The company’s innovative technology optimizes update packages and reduces device memory and bandwidth requirements, ensuring 100 percent fault-tolerant update integrity and completion.

The competitively priced Samsung Z1 is powered by Tizen, launched earlier this year in India and provides a user-friendly experience based on the fast, lightweight platform. Tizen is particularly fast, flexible and open, so the operating system is expected to power not only smartphones but also smart TVs, tablets and wearable devices. In addition, market watchers believe that Tizen will emerge as a core platform for smart homes and connected cars when the Internet of Things, which enables interaction with things via the Internet, becomes mainstream.

“Redbend has partnered with Samsung for years to provide an improved and reliable mobile user experience,” said John Seo, country manager, Redbend Korea. “Our efforts in developing new technologies will continue to ensure that customers can leverage the new Tizen ecosystem more easily and quickly through our solutions.”

About Redbend

Redbend catalyzes change in the connected world. We have been keeping more than two billion mobile, automotive and IoT devices continuously relevant with over-the-air software updates, and with virtualization and device management services. Our robust technology and solution offerings deliver instant market impact — accelerating business results, optimizing performance and improving people’s lives. Building on nearly two decades of experience, and on our track record working with hundreds of leading global brands, we make it easy for customers across all geographies to optimize deployment of change, and reliably enhance any connected device — regardless of size and complexity — with ever-increasing value. www.redbend.com

Contacts

Media:

Racepoint Global

Brittany Falconer, +1 617-624-3242

redbend@racepointglobal.com

or

Redbend

Mary Maguire, +1 617-877-8580

Mary.Maguire@redbend.com

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Samsung Begins To Ship New 4K TVs Alongside Tizen OS

Interestingly enough, in 2013, it was reported that Samsung’s Tizen OS was “almost dead”, but fast forward a couple of years later, and we have a new range of Samsung 4K TVs that are being shipped – and ironically, these happen to have the Tizen operating system running underneath the hood, which means that we are looking at smart TVs here.

Shipping of several of its new curved and flat-panel Smart TVs will be followed up by other models in the months to come. Pricing for this new range will start from $949.99 upward, and do expect your eyeballs to be impressed by the ultra-high definition [3840 x 2160] resolutions that they are capable of delivering.

Expect the user interface to be different in this batch of Smart TVs as well as opposed to models that were introduced in the pat, since this new 2015 range will be based on Tizen, which in turn would mean that the TVs themselves will be walking a whole lot closer to mobile devices and Internet-based streaming content. For instance, you need to just press a single button so that users can stream video from a smartphone or tablet to the TV. While this feature plays nice with select Samsung smartphones and tablets, users will be able to continue using their mobile device as a movie streams to the TV.

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Samsung Talks About Tizen OS On Their Smart TVs

Samsung has been trying to get their new Tizen OS off the ground, the company also uses the OS for their range of smart TVs and also some of their connected appliances.
Samsung has now provided more details about Tizen OS on their smart TV range and their plans for the OS going forward.

The 2015 Samsung Smart TV with Tizen boasts fast performance and better connectivity. The Smart TV can automatically recognize that your smartphone is used to watch movies on the go, and with the press of the ‘Quick Connect’ button, you can enjoy the same video on a larger TV screen from where you left off. It’s also very easy to transmit videos from the TV to smartphones.

Tizen can also be installed on home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners and robot vacuums. In the age of the Internet of Things where countless devices will be connected to each other, Tizen will make the TV in your living room a control center for your devices.

For developers, it is now easier to develop new applications for Tizen, as the platform is open-source and supports the web standard for TV app development. This is well evidenced by the significant increase in the number of new applications and games that became available on the 2015 Samsung Smart TV, compared to 2014.

Tizen also allows Samsung Smart TVs to become part of a much larger content ecosystem, allowing easy collaboration with a number of partners for ultimate flexibility and unparalleled access.

We are looking forward to seeing some more Tizen OS smartphones from Samsung, as yet the company has not released a high end smartphone with their new mobile OS.

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WhatsApp Voice Calling for Tizen is Here; When Will iOS and Windows Phones Get it?

In a surprise move, WhatsApp decided to roll out its voice-calling feature to one of the lesser known platforms, Tizen. While this certainly comes as great news for some Samsung Z1 users, owners of iOS and Windows Phone devices are left wondering. WhatsApp for Tizen received voice-calling via an update to the app, which was rolled out earlier this week. With this, users of Tizen smartphones can make and receive calls from their friends on Android using the popular messaging app.

If you are using Samsung Z1 and have WhatsApp installed on your phone, simply head over to Tizen Store and tap update. This will install the WhatsApp version to 2.12.10, activating the voice-calling feature without any sort of invitation, Tizen Experts reported. In addition, users will also see an identical interface as in the Android version of the app. Three tabs will allow users to manage Calls, Chats and Contacts.

If you are new to Tizen, here's how to get the feature activated in five simple steps.

Launch Tizen Store on your Samsung Z1 smartphone
Select Apps on top left corner of the app store
Choose My Apps
Locate WhatsApp under updates
Tap "Update" and start using the voice calling on your phone While it may sound surprising that Tizen received the feature before iOS or Windows Phone users, it is justified by the fact that WhatsApp for Tizen is an emulated version of the Android app. This enables users of Tizen to get similar features as and when Android users get them.

WhatsApp voice-calling for iOS and Windows Phone

WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton has already confirmed voice-calling for iOS, which is a few weeks away. The exact date is not known, but the Android roll-out hints at a similar fate for iPhone users in the upcoming days or weeks.

Similarly, Windows Phone users will likely get the feature once it has been rolled out to iPhone owners. This is a strategy followed by most app developers and WhatsApp is bound to continue the same tradition.

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Samsung starts shipping new 4K TVs with Tizen OS

Streaming movies from mobile devices onto TVs isn’t as easy as it seems. Samsung hopes to make that easier with its new line of 4K Smart TVs, which have the brand-new Tizen operating system.

Samsung has started shipping some of its new curved and flat-panel Smart TVs, and announced prices for other models that will ship in the coming months. The TVs, which start $949.99, come in ultra-high definition [3840 by 2160] resolutions.

The user interface in the new Smart TVs will look different from TVs released in previous years. Samsung’s entire Smart TV line-up in 2015 is based on Tizen, which brings TVs closer to mobile devices and Internet-based streaming content, the company said.

It’ll just take the press of one button for users to stream video from a smartphone or tablet to the TV. The feature will work with some Samsung smartphones and tablets, and users can continue using their mobile device as a movie streams to the TV. Content from a mobile device to TV will stream via Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth wireless technology will be used for device discovery.

Samsung has also said that the TVs—even when shut off—will be able to stream live broadcasts to mobile devices. Samsung limits these features only to its mobile devices, but not other brands, something it has been doing with its past entertainment products.

With Tizen OS, Samsung has also introduced a new Smart Hub interface through which users get access to streaming and other content. New entertainment options and custom content options will be available from the opening screen, and the Tizen OS will make it easier to find content.

Some TVs in the new lineup with the SUHD suffix have quantum dots technology, which helps produce sharper color and images. These models are also more expensive than the traditional LED TVs.

Some models in this 2015 TV lineup are able to upscale high-definition content to 4K video.

The 2015 lineup has TVs with screen sizes from 40 inches at 88 inches. Some of the new products introduced on Thursday include:

— JS9100 Curved SUHD: The 78-inch large-screen TV will ship in May for $9,999.99.

— JS9500 Curved SUHD: The 65-inch TV will ship this month for $6499.99.

— JU6700 Curved UHD: A $949.99 40-inch model is the least expensive of all new Samsung TVs. A 65-inch model is $2,699.99, and will ship in the coming months.

The flat-panel TVs include:

— JU7100 UHD—A 40-inch is now available for $1,399.99, and a 60-inch for $2,499.99.

— JS8500 SUHD: A 40-inch model is shipping for $2,999.99 and a 50-inch model for $3,999.99.

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Samsung Z1 receives OTA Tizen update

Samsung’s Z1 has had a warm reception in India, with the device selling over 100,000 copies as of a few weeks ago. The device has budget-friendly specs for just $92USD, a price that seems to be the sweet spot for consumers. What makes the Z1 special, apart from its price, is that it runs Samsung’s own operating system (Tizen) rather than Android. Samsung is currently working to allow the sideloading of Android apps onto Tizen OS, however, as a way to make its software palatable to Android consumers.

Now, to show the company’s continued commitment to the Z1 smartphone, Samsung has released another over-the-air (OTA) update for the Z1. The update, with build number Z130HDDU0BOC7, brings Tizen to 2.3.0.1 with an upgrade size of 26.9MB. As can be seen from the update size, we’re not looking at a large addition to Tizen, so a number of bug fixes constitute the small update. One noteworthy addition, apart from stability improvements and bug fixes to the Tizen 2.3.0.1 update, however, is the ability to download Asphalt 8 game updates – something that was only possible over Wi-Fi at one point in time.

Z1 users, have you noticed any differences with functionality since the update? If so, feel free to write in and let us know.

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