Samsung launches the first Tizen smartphone in India at Rs 5,700

New Delhi: Samsung Electronics launched the first smartphone powered by its Tizen operating system, a major development in the tech giant's ambition to build a software ecosystem to rival Android.

The Z1 went on sale in India for Rs 5,700 each, targeting users looking for their first smartphone, the world's No.1 smartphone maker said in a statement. The phone is available in the market starting Wednesday.

The no-nonsense handset - one of the cheapest in the Samsung stable - sports a 4-inch display, a plastic body and a simplified user interface.

The Samsung Z1 runs Tizen 2.3 and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor paired with 768MB of RAM. The phone has a 3.1-megapixel rear camera, a 0.3-megapixel front camera, 4GB of internal storage (expandable up to 64GB via microSD card), and a 1500mAh battery.

With the Tizen operating system, Samsung is trying to lessen its dependence on Android software, which powers a majority of the South Korean company's smartphones including its flagship Galaxy series.

Samsung earlier this month said its Internet-connected televisions will use Tizen from this year, allowing the TVs to easily synchronize with Tizen mobile devices.

The Z1 was unveiled in June but its launch was postponed. The delays were seen as a setback to Samsung's efforts to have control over the content and services that are used on its devices.

The phone is easy to use "even for the first-time smartphone users," Samsung said in a statement. The company said a speedy boot time, quick access to apps and fast page loading during web surfing show the Tizen software's benefits.