by Ever since the so-called “patent wars” broke out between Apple and Samsung in 2011, we’ve known that Apple’s been trying to distance itself from its Korean rival and supplier. According to AppleInsider, however, Samsung itself might be attempting to break with other strange bedfellows of its own — namely, Google’s Android operating system. Indeed, in a CNET interview this week, Samsung co-CEO J.K. Shin played up the virtues of Samsung’s own little-known Tizen operating system over Google’s popular OS.
Calling Tizen more than a “simple alternative for Android,” Shin expressed his belief that the Samsung OS should be found on “smartphones, tablets, PCs, and cameras, but also among different industries like cars, bio, or banks.” Samsung first revealed the OS on various devices in February during the Mobile World Congress, but a following announcement of a delay for a Tizen phone led to speculation that Samsung’s interest in the OS had flagged.
Not so, apparently, and there may be good reason for it. As AppleInsider goes on to note, many Android users have expressed dissatisfaction with the way Samsung injects its own apps and services into Android core OS, arguing that such perceived bloat has an impact on performance. As a result, some users are flocking to Google’s own Nexus devices, which offer Android in its pristine state. Indeed, Samsung’s move may be one of self-preservation, as Google itself has tried to crowd into Samsung’s own space with its Moto X devices.
Even so, Samsung is reportedly the only manufacturer of Android devices that manages to turn a profit, as recently reported by Cannacord analyst Michael Walkley. Despite this, the Korean company apparently made only a single mention of Android during its media event for the Galaxy S4 in March.
Dramatic stuff, and possibly good news for Apple if it manages to deliver some fantastic products in the upcoming months. Creating a new ecosystem apart from the status quo is risky business for Samsung, to say the least, and the tables could turn in Apple’s favor if its two biggest competitors start working against each other.
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