Samsung may be planning to test out a new smartphone operating system in India, according to a report by the AP.
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Tizen is a Linux-based operating system that Samsung already uses in some of its cameras and its Galaxy Gear line of wearable tech. The operating system has wide functionality with potential use in smart appliances and smart TVs. As of yet, Tizen has yet to be used in a major smartphone, but Samsung may be trying to introduce this operating system into its smartphone line starting with a run in India, according to the report.
Samsung's current line of Galaxy phones and tablets all run using Google's Android operating system, which also supports smartphones from major competitors like LG and Motorola. If Samsung were able to get a Tizen device off the ground, it could create a mobile software ecosystem to rival Google's Android, Microsoft's Windows and Apple's iOS, making the gadget giant more self-sustaining and less dependant on partner companies.
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Samsung had originally planned to release the Samsung Z, a smartphone that ran Tizen, in Russia this year, though that plan was since canceled. Whether this upcoming Indian release is the same Samsung Z, which according to the AP report featured a 4.8-inch screen and a fingerprint scanner much like the iPhone 5S, is unknown.
It's too early to tell if Tizen will be able to catch on as a mobile operating system, but if its use is as wide as it claims, ranging from smartphones to watches to appliances, it could be one to keep an eye on. It would be nice to one day sync my watch to my refrigerator, just to say that I did.