Linux

Samsung reported to be working with big name manufacturers including HTC for Tizen launch in the second half of this year

Samsung-tizen

Unless you happened upon a stray news article or were a big fan of Intel's MeeGo project, chances are you haven't heard of Tizen. The mobile OS is based on Linux, and is basically a collaboration of Intel and Samsung that brings together their respective smartphone operating systems into one. It certainly isn't complete or anywhere close to the importance of Android, but I find the project quite promising.

Despite its obscurity, Samsung is still committed to improving the platform, and even handed out actual hardware running Tizen to developers earlier this month. So, while it isn't much to go on, it seems believable when DigiTimes says that Tiwanese sources are reporting that Samsung has already chose quite a number of both hardware and carrier partners, and is preparing to launch commercial products in the second half of this year. 

These hardware partners include such big names as Acer, ASUS, and HTC, while carriers could include NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Vodaphone, and even Sprint. While ASUS and Acer are supposedly working on Tizen-powered notebook computers, HTC would obviously be most likely to build a smartphone or tablet. 

If true, then I really can't wait for HTC and Samsung to put out mobile devices runnint Tizen later this year. Since Samsung has done so well with smartphones, I would think that they would debut their platform on their own device, but I suppose it's possible that they would partner with HTC. Whoever makes the first device, I hope that Tizen gets off to a good start. Not just because I like the Linux-based OS and miss MeeGo, but because it is impotant for there to be as many options for consumers as possible, especially more "open" options. Because even though Android is fairly open compared to the competition, a truly Linux-based mobile OS like what MeeGo promised to be and Tizen could be would be a much more open option.

[DigiTimes]
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Aaron Orquia

Aaron Orquia is an associate editor at Pocketables. He has been using Android and Linux since he bought his first computer years ago, and his interest in technology, software, and tweaking both to work just right has only grown stronger since then. His current gadgets include a OnePlus One, a Pebble smartwatch, and an Acer C720 Chromebook.

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