6 Things Everyone Should Know About Samsung’s Tizen OS

 

Even though it has been in development for several years, many of us still have no idea what Samsung’s Tizen operating system actually is and what it will offer us in terms of smartphone development. In late February, a few important points were announced and we have looked at many of them here.

  1. It’s Open Source – Samsung has actually been working with Intel to develop this Linux-based platform. The fact that it is open source means that hardware manufacturers who choose to adopt it are free to play around with the interface as much as they like.
  2. HTML5 – Because Tizen is an HTML5 based OS, it should have a shorter development cycle and lower costs for making apps. For users, it means slicker mobile web applications and greater support for video.
  3. Look Like Android – In the latest photos and videos, Tizen actually doesn’t appear to be much different to a TouchWiz-layered Android. Dynamic boxes will play a large part in the overall look and feel, and the swipe down notification bar will also be present.
  4. Apps – The good news is that Tizen will support native and web apps (just like the did for Bada). In 2013, they ran a competition with 64 winners receiving funding for native and web-based apps.
  5. Not Just Smartphones – Tizen aims to offer a unified experience across multiple devices. We can expect to see it featured in televisions, laptops and potentially in the bank and car industries. Samsung is aiming to launch the first smartphone with this OS sometime in 2014, however.
  6. Future – Even though Samsung are yet to release a corresponding phone, Tizen 2.2.1 is ready and waiting to go. The tech giant has already moved onto Tizen 3.0 and has big plans for this operating system.

The verdict is still out on whether consumers and critics think that Samsung’s Tizen operating system will be a success or not – it is likely that we will have to wait for their first smartphone release to get a better idea of how this system compares to the many others currently on the market.