Samsung launches first Tizen OS phone in India

The phone is priced at Rs 5,700, to compete in the affordable category

World's biggest smartphone maker Samsung today unveiled the first device powered by its Tizen operating system in India, at Rs 5,700, to compete in the affordable category that is witnessing a boom.

One of its most affordable smartphones, the Z1 will see Samsung offer localised entertainment apps and a simple user interface with the Tizen OS, the company said.

Only a few devices, including Samsung's smartwatch products, run on the Tizen platform. A majority of its mobile phones are Android-based, a dominant OS on most smartphones across the globe.

"The smartphone market in India is rapidly evolving, with many consumers using their device as their screen of choice for content including videos, television programs and video games, as well as a range of apps," Samsung India Electronics President and CEO Hyun Chil Hong told reporters here.

Samsung Z1 has been customised to meet entertainment- focused needs of local Indian consumers for a personal and reliable mobile experience, he added.

The dual SIM device is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB RAM and 4GB internal memory expandable up to 64GB. It features four-inch display, 3.1 MP rear and a VGA front camera and 1,500 mAh battery.

The device was showcased at the Tizen Developer Conference in San Francisco last year.

Previously, Samsung ran 'Bada' OS, which did not see much success. It has since been working on merging the platform with Tizen, which is backed by chipmaker Intel.

The other popular operating systems include Apple iOS, Microsoft's Windows Phone OS and BlackBerry's proprietary platform.

Samsung has also launched a free entertainment package called 'Joy Box', giving users access to music, TV and movies. In addition, the Samsung Z1 will offer consumers free access to premium content available on Club Samsung.

Users can stream and download from over 270,000 songs, and watch over 80 live TV channels.

Samsung has partnered with Hungama.Com to deliver a wider selection of music streaming and downloading. It has also tied-up with Reliance Communications and Aircel to offer up to 500MB of 3G data free every month over 6 months.

India is one of the fastest growing smartphone markets globally and had registered about 82 per cent growth in the July-September 2014 quarter over the same period last year, as per research firm IDC data.

This growth in sales is being driven by increasing preference of consumers to upgrade to smartphones as well as shorter refresh cycles.

Samsung had a 24 per cent share of the India smartphone market in the said period, followed by Micromax (20 per cent), Lava and Karbonn (8 per cent each) and Motorola (5 per cent).