Samsung Galaxy Z3 – Rise of the Tizen Power

Tizen operating system, which is backed heavily by Samsung, occupies very less of the market share when compared with the likes of Android and iOS.

However, this operating system was very well received on the Samsung Galaxy Z1. It has given Samsung the confidence to go into a successor for this device. The company goes straight to the Samsung Galaxy Z3 (by skipping the Z2) in order to firmly position this operating system’s place in the industry.

Design

The lengthy criticism faced following the failure of recent phones like the Galaxy S5 prompted Samsung into a major rethinking in terms of design. The company appears to be benefiting from the rethink, as phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z3 are extremely good and offer a reasonable premium feel.

Display

Most of the specifications seen on this device have already appeared on the Galaxy S3 a few years ago. This is especially true in the case of the resolution, which is 720p on a 5 inch screen. The screen size is a little bit bigger than the display on the Galaxy S3, but it does not make any compromises with regard to pixel density. It is just under 300 PPI and should be more than sufficient for buyers in this price range. As with every other Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy Z3 has the Super AMOLED technology up its sleeve.

Camera

An eight megapixel camera without much fanfare offers basic features like autofocus and LED flash. More details about the camera features will be available once the phone is released officially by the company. It should support features like 1080p video recording, which have become common in this price range. A strong selling point would be the five megapixel front camera, which more than matches with what even bigger phones will struggle to offer.

Performance

This phone might have struggled with a demanding operating system like the Android 6.0 OS. This is due to the relatively moderate specifications like the quad core 1.3 GHz processor which is paired with 1 GB of RAM. However, these specifications should be just in line for the Tizen OS. A number of power saving features have been incorporated into this operating system so as to bring out the maximum from the 2600 mAh battery. Compared with the Galaxy S3, which had similar specifications including a minor advantage in terms of reduced screen size, the Galaxy Z3 should fare better. It should be priced comparatively similar to its predecessor.

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Samsung Z3 With 5-Inch Display, Tizen 2.4 OS Launched at Rs. 8,490

Samsung on Wednesday launched its third Tizen-based smartphone, the Samsung Z3, following the halted launch of the Samsung Z in 2014, and the limited region launch of the Samsung Z1 in February this year. Priced at Rs. 8,490, the smartphone will go on sale next week via offline retail channels and Snapdeal in Gold, Black, and Silver colour variants.

The dual-SIM Samsung Z3 runs on Tizen 2.4, and features a 5-inch HD Super Amoled display. The second Tizen-based smartphone to be launched in India, it is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Spreadtrum SC7730S SoC coupled with 1GB of RAM, the smartphone features 8GB of built-in storage that's expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB).

The Samsung Z3 bears an 8-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture and LED flash, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with the same f/2.2 aperture. Connectivity options include 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB, GPS with A-GPS, and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n.

Sporting a 2600mAh battery, the Samsung Z3 also features an Ultra Power Saving mode. Also touted was the Ultra Data Saving data compression feature. The smartphone weighs in at 137 grams, and measures 141.6x70x7.9mm.

The South Korean electronics giant has partnered with Gameloft and Rovio to preload games on the smartphone, as well as Vodafone for 1GB data plan free per month for two months. Lifetime MixRadio access is also bundled.

The company also unveiled the My Galaxy app, which will be available for Samsung devices via Google Play and the Tizen Store. The app provides offers, deals, discounts, and device care services in four segments - Home, Services, Care, My Page. Home shows offers and deals (with partners such as Pizza Hut, Paytm, Amazon, Bookmyshow, and Coupon Dunia); Services gives access to recharges, food, and travel; Care helps users locate Samsung stores and service centres, apart from accessing services like the Samsung Smart Tutor, and finally, My Page shows saved favourite deals offers, payback points which can be redeemed via Samsung Stores, and more.

Speaking at the launch, H.C Hong, President and CEO, Samsung India Electronics, said, "The launch of Samsung Z3 re-emphasizes India's significance as a key centre for innovation and development on the Tizen operating system, with India being the first country to globally launch the Z3. We were encouraged by the huge popularity of Samsung Z1, the first Tizen OS powered smartphone that sold over one million units within six months of its launch earlier this year."
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Samsung India Could Release Gear S2 Smartwatches Next Week

Next Wednesday, October 14 2015, Samsung is launching something into the Indian market. At this juncture, Samsung’s invite does not give much away as to the product or products that will be launched but we believe that the company will be introducing the Samsung Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic smartwatches. These two watches, which run Tizen rather than Android Wear or a derivative of Android, were originally announced in September 2015 ahead of the IFA show and are currently on sale for $299.99 for the Gear S2 and $349.99 for the Gear S2 Classic. Tizen is Samsung’s own in-house operating system that can trace its lineage through Bada, and is at the centre of Samsung’s push into IoT (Internet of Things) technology.

The devices are a little different to the current generation of Android Wear smartwatches although offer a similar hardware specification, being based around a 1.0 GHz dual core processor, having 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of local storage. Both models come with the usual expected assortment of sensors and radios for a modern smartwatch, including Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC, a heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light and barometer (which is ideal for counting stairs the wear has climbed). However, where the Tizen-powered Gear S2 family differs to Android Wear is in the user interface, where Samsung have used a rotating bezel and two buttons for control, around a 1.2-inch, 360 by 360 pixel circular Samsung AMOLED panel. There are fewer applications available for Tizen although Samsung have already encouraged sufficient big name developers and applications onto the platform. Tizen is a lighter operating system compared with Android Wear and this is reflected in Samsung’s battery life claims are for two to three days from a 250 mAh rechargeable battery. The models are compatible with the majority of Android devices running at least Android 4.4 Kit Kat.

If Samsung is indeed launching the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic, it will be interesting to see how the smartwatches are priced and distributed and in a few months, how well the models have sold and how much of a discount Samsung have applied. We have already seen how Chinese Android device manufacturers are already adopting Android Wear for new designs and several are likely to be launched in both China and India, which will bring increased competition to the market. We will keep you in the loop with an update after Wednesday’s announcement.

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Samsung's Upcoming Tizen-Powered Z3 Will Work With Likewise Tizen-Based Gear S2

Samsung is allegedly poised to release its Tizen-powered smartphone dubbed the Z3 and now rumors are rife that the handset will work in tandem with the Gear S2 smartwatch.

For the uninitiated, the Gear S2 is a Tizen-powered smartwatch from Samsung and sports a circular dial. The wearable is compatible with devices that run Android 4.4 or upwards.

Reports suggest that the Tizen-running Samsung Z3 smartphone will be compatible with the company's Tizen-based Gear S2 smartwatch.

(Photo : Tizencafe | Twitter)

According to a new report from TizenExperts, the impending Samsung Z3 smartphone, the third-gen iteration of the company's first-ever Tizen-based smartphone Z1, will have the ability to sync with the Gear S2 smartwatch.

For the Samsung Z3 to be compatible with the Gear S2, the company will need to adjust its Gear Manager app intended for the Samsung Z3. TizenExperts' sources let on that the team is working on the app and the software is "functioning quite well and stable." However, the publication's sources did not know when the Gear Manager app would be ready for release.

It is presumed, that with the Gear S2 smartwatch and the Samsung Z3 (supposedly) set to release in October, the Gear Manager could debut alongside the two. However, the app's release depends on final testing.

If this news is true, then Samsung is taking a step in a new direction as thus far, its Tizen-based smartwatches were unable to pair with its Tizen-based smartphones. Only the Galaxy Gear smartwatch from Samsung is based on the Android OS, whereas the rest of the watches operate on the Tizen platform.

The Samsung Z3 smartphones is anticipated to sport a 5-inch 720p screen. The smartphones will likely house a quad-core processor and 1.5GB of RAM. The Z3 is expected to be available with 8GB of on-board memory and pack-in a 5MP secondary camera for selfie lovers. The device will also have an 8MP primary camera and a 2600mAh battery.

With a majority of the smartwatch boasting the Android or iOS operating system, it will be interesting to see how the Tizen-based Gear S2 fares in the long-term - especially with compatibility with Tizen running smartphones being offered.

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