Samsung is well known for its plethora of products, ranging from phones to earbuds to laptops. But one Samsung feature you may not be familiar with is Tizen.
Some companies are so large that you will know of their operating systems regardless of whether you even own the devices, with platforms such as Android and iOS proving extremely popular.
Samsung’s answer to this is Tizen, which powers many of its products. We’re going to detail everything you need to know about Tizen, including its uses and features.
What is Tizen?
Tizen is an operating system designed by the Linux Foundation with support from companies such as Samsung and Intel; it is a multi-faceted operating system, meaning that its core OS switches versions depending on which device it is being used with.
It is open source so any developer is free to use it and build on it. However, Samsung is the main company that develops consumer-facing products using Tizen.
History of Tizen
The first version of Tizen came out in 2013. The OS was initially developed by a company called Tizen Association and was intended to help reduce the costs of creating Android handsets. The Linux Foundation took over the project in 2015 and released version 1.0 in 2017.
Who owns Tizen?
Samsung owns one-third of Tizen Association, which is the company that created the OS. Samsung invested $17 million into the company and licensed the OS for use in its devices and services.
In addition, Intel owns one-third of the Linux Foundation, which is the company that officially supports Tizen. The other companies that are partners in Tizen include Alibaba, ASUS, HTC, Huawei, Panasonic, and other large electronics companies.
What devices run on Tizen?
Since Tizen only runs on specific devices, the list of devices that run the OS is fairly limited. Most smartphones on the market run on either iOS or Android. However, devices like TVs, smart speakers and smartwatches run on Tizen OS.
Some of the devices that run on Tizen include the Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Watch Active 2, Galaxy Watch 3, as well as the Gear Fit 2 Pro.
Where to download Tizen?
You can download Tizen from the official website. You must register to download the OS, but once you do, you can download it to your computer and then transfer it to your phone. You can also connect your computer to your phone with a cable to download the OS.
Limitations of Tizen OS
Tizen has several limitations that make it less appealing to use than other operating systems. These include the fact that it only runs on specific devices and it only has limited third-party app support, meaning that it does not appear on many devices.
This includes phones that run on the Samsung Exynos CPU, the Snapdragon CPU from Qualcomm, or the MediaTek chips. It does not currently run on Apple’s iPhone, which is the most popular phone in the world, or other popular handsets like the Google Pixel.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
