Samsung launching Tizen-based smartphone in India this month

Samsung is planning to launch a Tizen-based smartphone in India this month. Dubbed Z1, the device will reportedly be priced under $100 (INR6,000), and will be launched at a press conference on December 10.

As the price indicates, Z1 will be a budget phone with features including 1.2 GHz processor, 4-inch 800x480 pixel display, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB internal memory (expandable by up to 32 GB via microSD card support) and 3.2 MP rear camera. There's also going to be dual SIM functionality, and integrated FM Radio.

The news comes a few months after the Samsung Z, the South Korean company’s first Tizen powered smartphone, was scrapped just a few days before its scheduled launch in Russia in July. Samsung said at the time that it wanted to further enhance the ecosystem behind Tizen.

For those who are not in the know, Tizen is Samsung and Intel's co-developed operating system, and is apparently a part of Samsung's effort to reduce its dependency on Google's Android platform.