It’s been a rough journey for the Samsung Z, the first Tizen-based smartphone, with the handset officially sitting on the sidelines as Sammo attempts to lure developers.
Confusing things somewhat, we’re hearing that Samsung has now ditched the Z entirely, instead shifting its focus to low-end Tizen handsets. Oh, good gawd.
That’s the story over on Tizen Experts, which – forgive me for saying – is a pretty depressing field to be an “expert” in right now.
As I mentioned in Are Samsung Mobile’s Days Numbered? yesterday, Tizen was at one time tipped to be a thoroughly disruptive smartphone force, potentially driving a wedge between Samsung and Android/Google.
But in reality, it’s been nothing short of a fiasco, with countless delays and this many Tizen phones released to date: none.
Again, Samsung had told us to take a breather while it tries to woo developers, but we doubt many devs will want to throw their weight behind an operating system that focuses on the low end, where app purchases are typically few and far between.
Still, that’s the message from the aforementioned Experts, who tell us to expect a Samsung SM-Z130H and SM-Z130E, both seemingly destined for emerging markets.
However, with the mighty Google announcing Android One for emerging markets also, you really have to wonder if it’s time for Samsung to cut its losses and call time on Tizen.
