Samsung Z: First Tizen-Powered Smartphone Delivers "Fast, Optimal" Performance, Improved Memory Management

Samsung is introducing the Samsung Z smartphone at the Tizen Developer conference tomorrow. The Linux-based Tizen OS is an Android/IOS alternative developed by Intel, Samsung, and other mobile players. It’ll be interesting to see if Tizen phones can put a dent in Android and IOS market share, but for now, we’ll have to wait: the phone is launching first in Russia.

Samsung Tizen with quad-core processor and fingerprint scanner
Samsung Z with Tizen 2.2.1

Samsung is touting the Z's startup times and quality 2D and 3D graphics capabilities.Obviously, we haven't had a chance to test the Samsung Z's performance ourselves yet, but the specs are worth a look. The phone will run Tizen 2.2.1 and is expected to have a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display at 1280 x 720. Inside will be a 2.3GHz quad-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 16GB of internal storage. Other interesting feature include a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate sensor. Given Apple’s recent interest in supporting health apps, it’s not surprising that Samsung is putting a heart rate sensor in its new phone and tying it to the Samsung S Health 3.0 app. Samsung will launch the phone in all-black and all-gold models.