Tag: Samsung Z1

Samsung Has Surprisingly Sold One Million Units of Tizen Powered Z1 Since January 2015

It seems Samsung has not lost hope yet with Tizen. Z1, the company’s first phone to run on Tizen OS, got negative responses from critics and consumers alike. It seemed the low price of Rs. 5,000 wasn’t enough to save the phone from extinction. As we previously stated, the phone was barely unique and failed to find space for itself in the brutal smartphone marketplace. Still, Samsung never lost hope in its homegrown OS, also known as the company’s answer to Android One.

It seems Samsung’s faith in Tizen has paid off.

Today, Samsung India said that it has sold a record 1 million Tizen-powered Samsung Z1 smartphones since its launch in January 2015.

Asim Warsi, vice-president-marketing, Mobile and IT, Samsung India, said:

Our insights have shown that consumers hesitate to move beyond the familiar basic and simple interaction with their mobile devices. Keeping this in mind, Samsung Z1 features an easy to use UI that offers a smooth and fast experience to ensure a seamless migration to smartphones.

Samsung is reportedly developing Z2, the successor to Z1. The phone is speculated to feature a 4-inch WVGA display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB RAM, 4 GB inbuilt storage, and 1500 mAh battery. If the company plays its cards right, Z2 could strengthen the future for Tizen OS.

July 1, 2015
First Images of Samsung Z2 Running on Tizen

Samsung’s next Tizen OS-powered smartphone is yet to get an official announcement from the Korean electronics giant. But thanks to an online leaks, we now have an idea what Samsung will offer with its upcoming Tizen-based smartphone. A set of pictures are circulating online which are said to be of the upcoming Samsung Z2.

The leaked images of the tentatively titled Samsung Z2 give a hint of its design. The Z2 seems much like Samsung Galaxy S3 mini with identical display size and body (plastic frame and metal texture). The Tizen Store is also shown in the picture, which displays some of the popular downloads like Opera Mini, WhatsApp and more.

Past rumours suggest that the next Samsung device running company’s Tizen OS will feature a 32-bit quad-core CPU with 1GB of RAM and Tizen 3.0 UI. The device will sport a qHD (540×960) TFT-LCD display and will pack a 2000mAh battery.

The phone will be another entry-level offering with basic features. The company aims to make room for itself in the Android-ruled market. The smartphone will launch in more countries than just Bangladesh and India, which first saw the release of Samsung Z1. Samsung is expected to bring out the Z2 in the first half of 2015.

May 5, 2015
Samsung Z1 Successor Running on Tizen is Reportedly in Works

Clad in a plastic body and embedded with Tizen OS, Samsung Z1 was barely unique and failed to find a space for itself in the brutal smartphone marketplace. However, the Korean electronics giant seems to be standing firmly behind its operating system and is reportedly working on expanding its smartphone portfolio running on the Tizen OS.

As per Tizen Indonesia blog post, Samsung is working on the successor of Z1 that would run on the company’s Tizen OS. Rumour mills suggest that the iteration (temporarily titled Z2) would have a slightly higher display resolution of 540x960p which is a qHD display. The presently available Z1 features a 480×800 WVGA display.

Samsung claims most of the major apps are available on Tizen OS

Tizen OS was criticized for being an Android clone. In spite of the unfavorable reviews for Tizen based Z1, Samsung made a marginal profit by selling 100,000 units in India in just one month and sold 20,000 handsets in less than 30 days in Bangladesh. The reason may be the low-price device and the much hyped new operating system from a major company that led people to give it a try.

There are no more speculations about the Z2, but it will surely stand close in specs with the Z1 which has a 4-inch WVGA display, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB RAM, 4 GB inbuilt storage, and 1500 mAh battery. Samsung can probably attract more audience if it adds some unique features instead of just emulating Android. The consumers have embraced new operating systems like the MIUI and Cyanogen for their varied appeal. Being Samsung, the company can afford to take a risk here as it desperately needs a popular device in the affordable segment of smartphones which is currently dominated by Indian and other Asian brands.

February 19, 2015
Samsung Galaxy J1 Arrives in India Tomorrow Priced at Rs. 7,199

Not long ago Samsung launched the Tizen-based Z1 in India, which failed to impress the Indian customers. Now, the South Korean manufacturer is giving another shot to influence the budget segment and is set to launch Galaxy J1 in India. The device will debut tomorrow, i.e. 11^th February, and will cost Rs. 7,199.

#LaunchingTomorrow on Amazon.in! Sign up for updates at: http://t.co/cC217W91Dn pic.twitter.com/AXk3iVawPJ

— Amazon.in (@amazonIN) February 10, 2015

Getting to the specifications of the handset, the Galaxy J1 sports a 4.3-inch WVGA (800×480) display. It packs a 1.2GHz dual-core Cortex A7 CPU and a Mali-400 GPU paired with 512 MB RAM. The handset features 4 GB of internal space which is expandable. The Galaxy J1 will run on Android 4.4 KitKat.

The phone encompasses a 5MP primary camera and 2MP secondary shooter at the top. The device gets its juice from the 1,580mAh battery and the connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The dual-SIM phone will come bundled some exciting offers, as informed by Amazon India.

The phone is not exceptional, and at this price point, Xiaomi and Asus are offering much better specifications. Samsung has to throw some free deal to lure more audience and stay in the competition.

February 10, 2015
Tizen-Powered Samsung Z1 Gets a Poor Response from the Indian Market

Samsung’s latest offering, the Tizen-powered Z1, was meant to be a ray of sunlight for the South Korean-based firm. The company expected to gain a foothold in the market by reaching maximum number of customers, subsequently boosting its declining market value. But things didn’t go as planned.

After its release on 14^th January, Samsung Z1 gained many responses, but almost all negative. The phone reviewers, as well as consumers, criticised its camera resolution and the dearth of applications for the device.

Samsung Z1 packs an ordinary set of specs, but what makes it stand out from the other available choices is the Samsung’s own operating system,Tizen, that has been developed to compete with Google’s Android.

For now, Tizen has a long way to go before it can battle with the already established contenders. The lack of apps turns out to be the biggest disappointment of the Tizen-powered smartphone.

Customers responded that it’s not the cheap smartphones they look for, but its the specifications that make the device. The South Korean electronics producer put its point forward saying that the Z1’s exclusive benefits are its simple interface, long battery life and faster page-loading speeds, which are all thanks to Tizen.

If Samsung puts an effort to expand its Tizen-based smartphone line-up beyond televisions and watches, they will get in touch with that segment of the Indian market which is still not accessible to smartphones. Meanwhile, the company hasn’t stated its plan to launch the Z1 in other countries. It says that its only focus, as of now, is India.

January 21, 2015
Hands On with the New Tizen-Based Samsung Z1

Android has taken over the market share and is widely available across multiple brands. Companies like Samsung, LG, Motorola and a lot of other companies have greatly benefitted from the Google’s open source operating system. But several electronic giants are attempting to come out of Android’s shadow and set up their own operating systems.

Samsung is attempting to break free from Android’s dominance with its homegrown Tizen OS. Samsung had already inducted Tizen in its Gear family of smartwatches and now they have launched the first phone based on the OS.

We got our hands briefly on the new Samsung Z1 which is the first phone based on the new operating system.

The Samsung Z1 totally looks like something that came out of Samsung’s stable. It has recognizable features including the physical button at the center. The phone has a metal-like casing that along with the polished back panel gives it a premium feel.

The Z1 is being marketed as a multimedia device and offers multitude of content through its tie-up with hungama.com and live tv options like BoxTv. But it comes with a 4-inch WVGA display that doesn’t feel adequate for a complete multimedia delight. The bit that is appreciated is the expandable storage option which is up to 64 GB; an amount great for multimedia hoarders.

Tizen OS looks and feels like the TouchWiz UI

Tizen OS looks and feels like the TouchWiz UI on Samsung’s Android devices. The only thing missing is the app drawer. The drop down menu too looks exactly the same as TouchWiz UI with similar setting options. It will be familiar interface for anyone switching from an Android device or upgrading from a feature phone into a smartphone.

Samsung claims most of the major apps are available on Tizen OS

The company has attempted to bring features from its higher end devices on Z1 like the ultra power saving mode, which up until now has been available on premium handsets like the Galaxy S5 and Note 4. It also offers 500 MB of free data plan with Reliance and Aircel for six months.

Overall, in the brief amount of time we spent with the device, we were excited to see Samsung trying to bring something new to its consumers. The device still falls short of competing with products like the Redmi 1S and the Moto E but is still a good effort. The company said that they will be refreshing their line-up of devices over the future and we would like to see where the new path leads Samsung.

January 14, 2015