Samsung Tizen-based smartphones on the way

DigiTimes heard Samsung will go through with launching its new Tizen-based Galaxy i9300 in the near future, but smartphone makers believe the device will face market challenges because the new operating system is unfamiliar to most consumers. Tizen is a Linux-based operating system, that uses some components of the MeeGo operating system.

The sources pointed out that the appearance of the Tizen operating system is an encouragement to handset and PC players and is also a key for whether Intel can regain its position in the industry. However, since Tizen still has not yet entered the market and most consumers are unfamiliar with the new system, to help Tizen to become standardize will be a difficult task for Intel and Samsung.

If Samsung is able to use its leading position in the handset market and successfully promotes Tizen-based smartphones, it is expected to attract more handset players to adopt Tizen for their devices and relatively weakening Google's domination in the handset operating system market.

The Tizen Association was formed in 2012 and counts Intel, Samsung, NEC, SK Telecom, NTT Docomo, Orange, Spring, Panasonic and Vodafone among its members.

On a related note, DigiTimes also writes that smartphone maker ZTE recently started developing a webOS based phone.