Samsung Z1 First Look: Tizen Smartphone Plans to Capture Budget Market Share

By Anuj
|

Samsung is ready for the next step though, and has launched the much-awaited Samsung Z1 in India. At a price of Rs. 5,700, the Samsung Z1 is aimed at beginners who are new in the world of connected devices.

 

For those who have never heard of Tizen OS, don't be too surprised you haven't heart it: the new mobile operating system (OS) backed by Samsung has been out recently, and a handful of devices come powered by Tizen mobile operating systems (OS), including wearables and TVs.

 

Rating:
3.0/5

Samsung Z1 First Look

Again, the primary focus is on India, where entry-level devices are hugely popular. The Z1 features a 4-inch low resolution display, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of expandable storage, a 3MP rear-facing camera and a VGA camera.

Although it feels early to be talking about Tizen, an operating system (OS) backed by Samsung, the company's new entry-level handset makes a fantastic first impression.

In fact, it's a good idea to begin with a low-end device now, as the operating system (OS) still has a long way to go to compete with the likes of Android and iOS.

Below are the first impressions of Samsung's newly launched Z1 - powered by Tizen mobile OS. Here we go!

Samsung Z1 First Look

Samsung Z1: Form Factor, Design, Display and Operating System

Though it's made of plastic, it's comfortable to hold, following the design philosophy of Samsung's previous-generation handsets in the entry-level segment. Well, there's nothing new about the so-called design; though it has metallic trip around the edges.

Samsung Z1 First Look

We're not joking but the Samsung Z1 has extremely familiar design and built quality. Despite having a repetitive design, the device should blend well with its targeted users.

The Samsung Z1's 4-inch screen has a resolution of (800 x 480), which is fairly predictive for an entry-level phone. Anyways, the display is much easier on eyes than phones with similar screen resolution. There is a downside though, the screen smudges make it harder to read, and especially for an aged person or someone who wear spectacles all day.

Samsung Z1 First Look

Here's comes the main part: mobile operating system (OS). At first glance, it was so hard to make a difference between Tizen and Android OS. Notably, we found some similarities with Firefox OS, too.

To be precise, you will get to see regular notification centre that you find by swiping down from the top. Now there's the Favourites app feature which will show you the 8 most-frequently used apps in two rows.

Samsung Z1 First Look

As we mentioned, the home screen is a grid of applications, similar to iOS. Hold down the home button and you launch a task switcher to see what apps are open. And you can also kill them individually. As far as the user experience is concerned, the native OS felt smooth and jittery free.

So far, as many as 1000 apps can be downloaded using a dedicated store. A couple of super cool apps are still missing, including WhatsApp. However, the biggest challenge in front of Samsung is to provide popular apps which are missing as of now.

Samsung Z1 First Look

Samsung Z1: Processor and Connectivity

One can fully rely on the Samsung Z1. Its 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor, but seemed to be a fast phone. The RAM is only 768 MB. We didn't really notice any issues with the Samsung Z1, while testing out a demo version.

Samsung Z1 First Look

Storage wise, the phone has a 4GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 32GB via a microSD card slot. Let's not forget that the device supports 3G, Dual-SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other essential connectivity options.

Samsung Z1: Camera and video

We really don't expect much out of a low-end camera smartphone, but the Samsung Z1 surprised us. The 3.1-megapixel rear-facing camera is not disappointing at all. The phone takes sharp photos in good light, but we didn't get enough time to test the camera in low-light conditions.

Samsung Z1 First Look

The front camera is VGA, though the results are fairly expected. Most low-end phones can at least record 720p video these days, including the Samsung Z1.

Samsung Z1: Battery and Verdict

Samsung has added a 1,500 mAh battery (removable) fitted inside and according to the tech giant it will offer at least 8 hours of talk-time and 7 hours of non-stop video. Furthermore, there's also the Ultra Power Saving Mode.

Samsung Z1 First Look

It's a mixed bag when it comes to the Samsung Z1. Buying a Samsung-made Z1 means a lot of sacrifices. If are ready to pay more, we highly recommend you to buy the Xiaomi Redmi 1S or buying a Lenovo A6000.

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

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