Samsung is long-rumored to be working on a Tizen-based smartphone. The company did showcase Samsung Z, but the handset saw its fair share of delays, and there’s no word if we’ll see the device any time soon.
According to a new report from Tizen Indonesia, Samsung will hold an event on December 10th to launch an entry-level Tizen smartphone known as Samsung Z1 with model number SM-Z130H which has been spotted in the past.
The handset is expected to hit retail for $100, and will offer entry-level specifications. As per rumors, there’s a 4-inch display sporting a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels, and a dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 512MB of RAM, and 3.2MP camera for photos and videos. The handset is also expected to feature FM radio, GPS and 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and Tizen OS v2.3. We’ve already seen some leaked screenshots of the Tizen OS v2.3 in the past which shows a much cleaner UI and also appears to have taken cues from Android OS.
Samsung is already offering the Tizen operating system in a variety of smartwatches available in the market, and it seems the plan to offer an entry-level smartphone with the OS makes more sense, especially in markets like India where budget-friendly handsets are quite popular. It’s also said to become the third largest smartphone market by 2018 after China and US, with more growth expected to happen in the low-end segment.
We’ll update you as soon as we get any other information about the alleged Samsung Z1.
Source: Tizen Indonesia, Sammobile
Note: The above image is of the delayed Samsung Z, not the Z1.