Samsung Z1 smartphone in
India has been launched with a price tag of INR 5,700 ($92). It is the
company’s first Tizen OS-based smartphone in the country, and is available in
White, Black, and Wine Red color options.
The Samsung Z1 is powered by a Spreadtrum SC7727S chipset
containing 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and Mali 400 GPU. The smartphone sports
a 4-inch WVGA display, and runs Tizen OS 2.3. The budget-minded Z1 comes with 768MB of RAM and 4GB of
internal memory (expandable up to 64GB via microSD). It has a 3.1-megapixel
rear camera and a VGA front-facing snaper, and packs in a 1500mAh battery.
Other features include dual SIM support, as well as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and
3G connectivity.
On the software side, the smartphone features built-in
AntiVirus protection, an Ultra Power Saving Mode to extend the battery life,
and free access to Hungama music for three months, as well as premium content
though Club Samsung. It also lets you send SOS alerts, something which can be
done by pressing the power button four times. Reliance and Aircel users will
also get 500MB of free 3G data per month for a period of 6 months with the
device. Built on the lightweight Tizen platform, the Samsung Z1 delivers a
faster boot time and quick access to apps, along with enhanced web performance
to offer users faster page loading times with decreased data usage. The Samsung
Z1 is equipped with long-lasting battery performance and also features ‘Ultra
Power Saving Mode’ to ensure users can always stay connected, even at the minimal
battery levels.
Looking at this phone will give you the feel of Galaxy
Ace or Galaxy Star series. There’s nothing radically new about the design or
the build though it does have metallic-finish on the side. It really doesn’t
look so different from the countless Android phones that Samsung has offered in
the past. Perhaps that is what Samsung was going for, but seriously we feel
that the design doesn’t help the Z1 stand out.
The Tizen OS: As far as the Tizen OS is concerned,
we couldn't help but notice the similarity to Android, at least where the look
of the icons is concerned. There’s also a drop-down menu for notifications,
Wi-fi, other settings. There’s also the Favourites app feature which will show
you the 8 most-used apps in two rows. You can either stick to these or swipe
further down to get to the other apps. There’s a Tizen app store and it’s not
clear when or if Samsung will bring other apps stores to the OS. The smartphone
will run Android apps thanks to integrated Android app support for Tizen OS.
While Facebook, WhatsApp, Google haven’t created any apps for this OS, Samsung
has created its own apps for these which are available in Tizen OS and thus
users can access them. As far as the overall OS is concerned, it felt fairly
fast and smooth on the Z1.
Conclusion: Will Z1 be a game changer for Samsung?
It’s hard to say yes, because you can’t help but compare it to what is
available in the market. Some Android devices which are in the same price
range, offer better specs. For instance, Redmi 1S is
priced only Rs 5,999 (Rs 299 more than the Z1) and has a better camera (8
megapixels); the Asus Zenfone
4 has more storage space 8GB, 5 megapixel camera and is priced
at Rs 5,299. So yes, there are cheaper, more feature-rich alternatives to the
Z1 which might appeal too many. Z1 and Tizen is Samsung’s alternative to the
dominance of Google. And yet you feel that by keeping this as a budget phone
with bare minimum specs, Samsung hasn’t really given the Z1 the backing it
needs. There’s no doubt that it’s a pretty zippy OS given how smoothly it
functioned for us in the demo zone, but the lack of apps and features on the
phone don’t really do it much justice.
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