When you look at the success of Android, it’s easy to see why some big companies would like to develop operating systems of their own. Samsung is one of these companies, and its Linux-based operating system Tizen, should hopefully launch on smartphones sometime this year. We’re already seeing Tizen take up residence on some Samsung-branded smartwatches, but it sounds like Samsung wants to move beyond mobile technology with Tizen.
Speaking to reporters, Samsung Electronics Media Solution Center President Hong Won-pyo pointed out that “Like Google’s Android platform, Tizen could be a common platform that can connect Samsung products in a single category.” This means not only creating its own smartphone ecosystem, but developing a platform that all of its products can use. In other words, Samsung wants to move beyond being just a manufacturer and make the operating system that runs on all of that hardware it produces.
It makes sense, considering Samsung is already on top of the Android game. Since it has already claimed the spot of top Android manufacturer, it isn’t surprising that Samsung would want to rely on Google at least a little less than it is now, and one way to do that is to create an ecosystem of its own. For all the talk though, Tizen sure is taking its sweet time in getting here. According to sources of the Korea Times, Samsung is hesitant to launch Tizen in the face of “poor market conditions.” The Korean company could be getting over those worries, and Hong also told reporters that Samsung would be looking to mergers and acquisitions to help speed up development of its ecosystem.
It’s a risk, but one Samsung probably has to take if it doesn’t want to continue developing for a platform it doesn’t own. Tizen has at least a noteworthy amount of interest following it, and going off what Hong told reporters, it looks like Samsung is finally ready to make the Tizen push. We’ll ultimately have to wait and see what happens, but the idea of a Tizen-based smartphone in a sea of Android and iOS devices certainly has us interested. Stay tuned.