Samsung has been talking up its plans to launch a Tizen-powered smartphone since the early days of 2013, but after being hit with multiple delays, the device still hadn’t been introduced by middle 2014. That’s finally changing today, as Samsung has officially taken the wraps off of its first Tizen phone.
Dubbed the “Samsung Z,” the first commercially-available Tizen smartphone borrows several features from Samsung’s recent Android releases, The phone packs a squarish design along with a faux leather backside like the one found on the Galaxy Note 3. The front of the Samsung Z is home to a physical Home button and capacitive Menu and Back keys.
As for its specs, here’s what you can expect from the new Samsung Z:
Overall the Samsung Z looks like a mid-range to high-end offering that uses many of the same features found on Samsung’s recent Android flagships. That’s not entirely surprising, because while Samsung has been a big backer of Tizen so far, it’s not yet clear if the platform will gain traction with consumers. Recycling many Android features with the Samsung Z allows the company to dips its toes in the commercial Tizen water without committing too many extra resources.
The Samsung Z will launch in Russia in the third quarter in both Black and Gold color options. Samsung says that the Z will “expand to other markets” from there, but it hasn’t said exactly which locales will get access to the first Tizen handset.
Now that it’s officially official, what do you think of the first commercially-available Tizen smartphone? Would you check it out if it were made available in your country?
Via Samsung
![Android 4.4.3 hitting Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 today, says T-Mobile [UPDATED]](https://news.wirefly.com/sites/phonedog.com/files/styles/blog_entry_block_views/public/blog/featured_image/2014/06/182211-main-xlarge-android-4-4-3-may-arrive-today.jpg?itok=FZYa0Z5b)
