According to itself, Samsung has had a successful launch of its Tizen-powered Z1 smartphone in India. Emboldened by this favourable reception, Samsung has now launched the Z1 in the neighboring country of Bangladesh. The Samsung Z1 will retail for approximately 6,900 Bangladeshi Taka, which translates to around USD $90.
As you’d expect from the price tag, the Z1 is a pretty run-of-the-mill smartphone, sporting a four-inch WVGA screen, 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, 768 MB of RAM, 1500 mAh battery, 3.1-megapixel camera, and 4 GB of storage, in addition to a microSD card slot.
Samsung and Intel spearheaded Tizen’s development, pitching it two years ago to the public as an alternative to the dominant Android and iOS. The initial plan was to offer Tizen in high-end devices that could compete with flagship Android and iOS alternatives, but it didn’t work out too well. Finally, Samsung decided last year that it would forgo the high-end of the market and instead focus on the low- and mid-range markets. The company also is pushing Tizen as the “operating system of everything,” with the software so far used in all of its new smart TVs, its wearables and digital cameras.
Whether Samsung’s strategy—along with those from these other companies—is enough to secure a victory in a rapidly expanding market remains to be seen.
