On 14th October 2015, in a grand event held in Gurgaon, Samsung celebrated the global launch of their brand new Tizen based smartphone - Z3. The grand launch event gave ample evidence of how important a Tizen based smartphone is for Samsung. The OS is new, but Samsung seems to be making all efforts needed (like Tizen Developer Summit, Tizen Incubation Center to encourage developers to develop Tizen apps) to increase its popularity and make sure it does not lag behind in the applications availability. There are, at present, about 550 million users of feature phones in India. With their Tizen OS which makes the experience of using a smartphone simpler, Samsung is targeting these 550 million users to encourage them to switch over to smartphone without worrying about the difficulties of its use. Keeping the target user segment in mind, Samsung has loaded apps and services on Z3 that offer attractive freebies (like free music) and deals and offers.
Samsung Z3 has been manufactured in India and comes packed with several useful features and services. And despite being a budget friendly phone, it looks good. The specifications of the device may not be very boast-worthy, but the device does give the feel of holding a good quality smartphone.
Let's quickly check out the highlights of Samsung's Tizen based Z3:
Looks: As I said before, despite being a budget friendly phone, Z3 looks good and feels good in hand. Its design seems inspired by Samsung's flagship devices. It does not have a metal body, but it does have a nice metallic look. It is sleek and measures 70 x 141.6 x 7.9mm and weighs 137g. It is a big screen smartphone with 5" HD sAMOLED display. Z3 is available in Black, Gold and Silver colour options.
Specifications: Z3 is equipped with 1.3 GHz Spreadtrum | SC7730SI processor. It has 1 GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. The storage is expandable upto 128 GB using microSD card. The device runs on Tizen 2.4 operating system. It has impressive 5 inch superAMOLED display. The device is powered by 2600 mAh battery. It is a dual SIM phone. The rear camera is 8MP with LED Flash and the front camera is 5MP.
Camera: Tizen Z3 has 8MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. The camera modes include Automatic Selfie (with facial recognition), Beauty Mode (which automatically re-touches the images to make them look better), 120 degree selfie mode etc.
My Galaxy: The highlight of Z3 is not just that it runs on Tizen OS. The highlights also include the new features and services that Samsung has loaded on the device. The most important of these is the app called My Galaxy. My Galaxy offers the user highly targeted and user-centric deals and offers from online retailers and services like Amazon, Paytm, BookMyShow, Coupon Dunia etc. My Galaxy has four sections or tabs. The Home page shows customized deals to the users. These deals are localized and unique to the device. The Services page makes available major online services like Amazon, Coupon Dunia, Paytm etc and will feature deals from these. The Care section makes it easy for the user to locate nearby Samsung Convenience stores and service centers. The My Page shows all the deals and offers that the user has 'favourited' for later perusal. Besides benefitting from these deals and offers, the users will also be rewarded for shopping through My Galaxy and they can redeem the earned points to get more discounts. The My Galaxy app can be downloaded on all Samsung phone from Tizen store or Google Play Store.
HERE Maps: Another useful app that comes preloaded on Z3 is HERE Maps. The app allows the user to easily download the map of any city or state and use it even without internet connectivity. That is, HERE Maps allows user to use maps and navigation in offline mode. It is also available on Google Play store for use in Android devices.
Mix Radio: Another interesting app that Z3 has is called Mix Radio. It is basically a large repository of radio stations from around the world. It is free for Z3 users for life time and even allows them to download their favourite songs for offline listening. It is a great way to discover new music and artists and to create your own play lists or mixes. Other smartphone users can also download Mix Radio form Tizen Store or Google Play store.
Games: Samsung has partnered with popular game developers like Rovio, Gameloft etc. These are the creators of games like Angry Birds, popular racing games and cricket game. So all these popular games are available for Z3.
UDS and UPS: The Tizen Z3 is equipped with not just Ultra Power Saving mode but also Ultra Data Saving mode. The Ultra Data Saving mode helps in data compression and data management, thereby saving on the mobile bills. When UDS is enabled, it can save upto 40% data, without much effect on the internet experience. The Ultra Power Saving mode helps in preserving battery power. When the battery is running low, enabling it can allow the user to use the essential services of the phone for longer. With just 10% battery charge, UPS can allow the user to use essential phone features for upto a day.
Themes: Z3 allows user to download and use themes to give their devices a new look. All these themes are India centric and very vibrant, colourful and interesting.
As a launch offer, the buyers of Samsung Tizen Z3 can avail 1GB data plan for two months from Vodafone. Z3 will be available across all Samsung retails channels from 21st October. It is also available on . The price of Samsung Z3 in India is INR 8490.
At this price, the device may not boast of having the best of specifications. The RAM and ROM especially are a little disappointing. The 1GB RAM won't pose much of a problem though for users switching to Z3 from a feature phone. But the 8GB internal storage might start feeling too less too soon. The device already has several pre-installed apps like My Galaxy, Mix Radio, games etc. They all will consume significant storage from this 8GB. And not all of them can be uninstalled. The good thing is that the device does allow the user to expand the storage using microSD card. But installing too many heavy apps might still not be possible.
In terms of appearance and display, the phone is a pleasure. It is slim, looks good and has nice and crisp superAMOLED display. The device feels comfortable in hand and definitely looks much better than its predecessor Samsung Z1. All in all, a nice option for those looking for a good looking smartphone with easy user interface and interesting features.
- Processor: 1.3 GHz Spreadtrum | SC7730SI
- Display: 5" HD sAMOLED
- OS: Tizen 2.4
- Camera: Rear -> 8.0MP w/ LED Flash (F2.2), Front -> 5.0MP (F2.2)
- Camera Modes: Wide Selfie, Interval Shot, HDR (High Dynamic Range), Panorama, Beauty Face, Night, Panorama, Pro, Dream Shot, auto
- RAM: 1 GB
- ROM: 8 GB, MicroSD: extendible Up to 128GB)
- Battery: 2600 mAh
- SIM: Dual Micro SIM
- Connectivity: USB 2.0, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS,Glonass, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz
- Network(MHz): WCDMA: B1(2100), B8(900) / GSM: GSM850,GSM900,DCS1800,PCS1900
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor
- Dimension: 70 x 141.6 x 7.9mm, weight: 137g
- Colours: Black, Gold, Silver
- Price: INR 8490
- Availability: Samsung stores and