Here comes Tizen! Yes it’s another new mobile OS based on Linux, yes it’s another mobile OS which will be released on a small number of handsets, and yes it’s unlikely to trouble the top ten handsets of 2013, but Tizen has an important role for Samsung’s mobile division.

Samsung is looking at the release of a Tizen phone at some point this year, with an announcement of the handset expected in the near future.

The Tizen mobile operating system is part of the Linux Foundation, with strong support from Samsung and Intel. There has been a long period of development, but version 2.0 of Tizen should be released during January, with an appearance on a mobile device in the first quarter of 2013.

That mobile device, naturally, is going to be from Samsung, and it’s going to be impossible to not mention Tizen without mentioning Android. Samsung’s recent success has been driven by the Galaxy range of consumer electronics all running the Android OS. Tizen is not going to replace Android on these handsets, but what Tizen will immediately do is give Samsung an option running on low and mid range devices. An option that they completely control.

Keep reading…

Read also:

Samsung drifts away from Android; will Motorola rise to replace it? (Ars Technica)

Phone makers seek alternative to Android (CBS News)

Android, ahoy! 7 things you can count on in 2013 (Computerworld (blog))

Explore: 203 additional articles.