A “person with knowledge of the matter” revealed to Reuters that Samsung will launch more Tizen handsets later this year. The source stated that these smartphones will vary in cost, lending credence to the belief that there could be a high-end Tizen smartphone or two in the mix. In addition, a gold-colored version of the Z1 handset, as well as free games and messaging apps will launch soon.
For Samsung to consider bringing more Tizen handsets to the market, however, it had to sell a respectable number of Z1 handsets. The figure of 1 million sold within 6 months is certainly impressive for the Z1, considering the relative infancy of the Tizen operating system, as well as the initially cold response to the device.
Whether the masses will truly embrace Tizen will likely depend on how well Samsung sells the idea. Samsung aims to create its own ecosystem by putting Tizen in everything from its smartwatches and its TVs, to its Z1 and other upcoming smartphones. Initially pricing the Z1 at just under $100 when it first launched in January certainly helped Samsung’s cause, but the company still has work to do to convince people that they should choose Tizen over Android.
Samsung knows this, which is why the company will host a Developer Conference in Shenzhen, China this September, as well as have its Tizen Developer Summit India 2015 in Bangalore, India next month. The South Korean tech giant hopes to attract more developers to its Linux-based operating system, which will bring more users to the platform in turn.
