Does the Tizen platform have what it takes to become the next big thing in smartphones? Or will it end up being mostly ignored in a market where iOS and Android reign supreme? We guess we will just have to wait and find out, but in the meantime, it seems that Intel and Samsung will be be doing everything in their power to attract developers to create apps for the platform in hopes that a well-populated app store will be able to draw users in.
To that extent, it has been reported that registered attendees to the Tizen Developer Conference will be given a free Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch and an Intel NUC mini PC. Apparently the goal behind this generous giveaway is to help raise awareness for the event, which coincidentally enough will take place on the 2nd-4th of June, which is also when Apple’s WWDC 2014 event will be taking place.
Tizen is an open-source project managed by the Linux Foundation. Apart from the use in smartphones, Tizen has also found a use in wearables, like the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo, both of which run on Tizen, not Android, unlike its predecessor the Galaxy Gear. We have also seen how Tizen can be used to power camera software, so we can see how it might appeal to developers who want to develop for more than just mobile devices.
Samsung is expected to launch their first Tizen smartphones soon, so it will be interesting to see if this extravagance will be enough to get developers interested in hopping on board the Tizen bandwagon.