Samsung launches Tizen-run smartphone

SUWON, South Korea, June 2 (UPI) -- Samsung launched the first smartphone to use its home-grown Tizen operating system, the Samsung Z, and it will be shown at the Tizen developer conference in San Francisco Tuesday.

The Samsung Z, which features a 4.8-inch screen, will be available in the third quarter of 2014 in Russia before expanding to other markets, including India. It will be the company's first departure from the use of Google's Android OS -- Samsung is the world's largest maker of mobile devices using Android.

Samsung has worked with chipmaker Intel and Vodafone to develop an alternative to Android, as a way to reduce the Suwon-based company's dependence on the operating system.

"It enables Samsung to hedge its bets much better compared to some of its rivals," Andrew Milroy, a vice president with consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, told BBC News. "However, it is unlikely to make a significant dent on the Android market share."

Samsung, despite being the biggest Android user, is facing stiff competition from other companies, such as HTC, Sony, LG and Huawei, using the operating system to power some of their phones and tablets. Samsung is going the extra mile with Tizen by incentivizing developers who choose to develop apps using the new OS. Having a Tizen app store would also help the company generate some revenue.

The global smartphone market is expected to grow at a slow 6.2 percent in 2018 from the 19 percent it's expected to grow this year, according to analyst firm IDC. Samsung continues to be the leader in smartphone sales shipping 316 million smartphones last year, more than double the 153 million iPhones of second-ranked Apple.