"Samsung to Offer Tizen-Based Smartphones"

Tizen

In an apparent attempt to loosen its dependence on Android, Samsung has confirmed it plans to offer a line of devices based on Tizen mobile OS in 2013.

In an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg, a Samsung representative stated that the company will “keep expanding the (Tizen) lineup depending on market conditions.” The rep did not reveal any more details about the upcoming devices or their prices.

Tizen is a Linux-based, open-source mobile operating system that supports both Intel and ARM processors. Meanwhile, its SDK and API allows developers to utilize HTML5 when writing applications. The OS is aimed to work in tablets, smartphones, GPS devices, netbooks, smart TVs, and in-vehicle infotainment systems.

The move may have to do with the Google’s recent acquisition of Motorola, as the South Korean electronics giant is weighing its options about decreasing its reliance on Google’s own mobile OS, Android. Samsung already has its own mobile OS called Bada, but apparently this software has been shelved in favor of Tizen. Several Bada-based smartphones from Samsung were launched in 2011, but none followed the year after.

Source: Bloomberg, via Mashable