Samsung has delayed the launch of Tizen once again. The Korean manufacturer says the delay will let it continue to build the smartphone and ensure that it is 100 percent ready for the public when it makes it onto shelves.
The delay is the latest for the Tizen operating system smartphone, which has received much attention as it signals a move away from Samsung's reliance on the Android OS.
The delay means the Linux model Samsung Z's debut in Russia will also see some delays. The company has been making the rounds with the Z at events and conferences, but the new phone has yet to be made available to the general population, in what Samsung says is part of its efforts to "further enhance the Tizen ecosystem."
The Tizen OS has many analysts hopeful that a third operating system for smartphones from the major companies will help spur innovation and further competition.
"Samsung will continue to actively work with Tizen Association members pursuing to further develop both Tizen OS and the Tizen ecosystem," the Korean tech maker said.
The company had been planning to launch the new device in Russia at the Moscow Tizen Developer Summit, but only displayed models of the phone instead. There was no immediate reasoning behind the delay at the time, but the company said it hopes to get the Z onto the Russian market in the near future once its functionality has been achieved.
The goal is that Samsung can move away from Google's Android platform into something that has been developed by Samsung.
By going at the Indian and Russian markets first with the Tizen operating system, analysts believe that Samsung is making the right moves by not entering a market that is over-saturated with top-shelf devices, like Europe or North America.
Gauging interest in the Z device in Russia and India will let Samsun see initial responses without worrying about overall sales of the devices vis-à-vis Apple's iPhone or Samsung's flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone, which runs on the Android OS.
Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, agrees with that approach, as Tech Times previously reported: "We believe Samsung is taking a path of least resistance for Tizen. India and Russia are relatively open markets, where mobile operators have limited control over distribution channels," he said. "This makes it easier for Samsung to sell new Tizen models. Breaking into the established markets in Asia, Western Europe and North America, where operators have far more control over smartphone distribution, may prove to be trickier for Samsung."
