Operating system Tizen - Bada repeating path
They say little about Tizen, almost never speak, and inside Samsung and Intel, quite a lot of interesting things happen. Below I will give a look at this platform in relation to hardware solutions, since Tizen is a de facto software and hardware platform, although such a union is conditional and follows from the cooperation of the two companies.
Intel really wanted to sell the Intel Atom platform on low-performance netbooks and also have an operating system for it, preferably from Microsoft. At Microsoft, it was considered that creating a version of existing operating systems for netbooks does not make sense, since their performance is low and the number of negative reviews will be greater than the profit from this. The expectation was also that most users would put Windows anyway, but they would no longer blame the manufacturer for poor performance. And I must say that this calculation was fully justified.
In a vain search for alternatives, Intel began to work on the Moblin operating system (mobile Linux - no less, but that's how they saw this OS in the company). Unfortunately, Intel failed to highlight this strategic direction, as a result, the development went very slowly. This story began in 2007.
')
In 2010, Intel agreed to join forces with Nokia - from the side of Nokia, the project invested Maemo for smartphones and partly tablets, from Intel provided work with tablets, as well as netbooks and laptops.
But the main part of the story was not in software - a deal between Nokia and Intel concerned future Intel chipsets that could be used in MeeGo (this is how the platform was called). In fact, by investing in development in this direction, Intel provided Nokia with a sales market for its chipsets. It must be said that in 2010 it was already clear that the Intel Atom platform (x86 architecture) was deafeningly lagging behind its competitors on the ARM architecture. The company realized that this direction must be made strategic and made it so. At Intel, development proceeded along two paths - forming a team, buying up assets that would help in future development (for example, the company bought Infineon, which had a large number of patents on cellular communication systems - the former daughter of Siemens). The development of the operating system was not a priority; here Nokia was the main partner.
In 2011, Nokia refused to cooperate and turned off all the work. Moreover, black times came for MeeGo, since all the interface developments remained with Nokia, the company refused to sell or transfer them to anyone. De facto, Intel continued to create its own processors, platform, but remained without its own operating system for them. Intel's ambitions are not only to create chipsets for today's popular OS - Android, Windows, but also to have its own OS, which can be an additional advantage when choosing its hardware solutions.
After Nokia’s refusal to work with Intel, our other partner’s company is Samsung. Terms of the transaction are completely similar - Samsung is working on the OS, while Intel is creating a hardware platform. The only difference is that Samsung’s experience in creating its own operating systems and platforms is minimal, and Bada proved that companies have a lot to learn and how to change before it can create completely complete, sustainable solutions in the long run.
Therefore, when we talk about the Tizen project, it is necessary to understand that Samsung is more responsible for the part with the OS, but the hardware stuff, the drivers and everything else, all on the side of Intel. At the moment, it’s impossible to say that someone other than Samsung plans a large number of Tizen devices (this platform will in theory be completely open, as well as Android - any manufacturer will be able to manufacture their devices).
Currently, Intel has only three smartphones, each of which has a Z2460 chipset inside (in fact, these devices were ready at the end of 2010, but began to be sold this summer). An example of a device on this chipset is the same Megaphone Mint, launched for sale the other day in Russia - www.mobile-review.com/review/megafon-mint-sp-a20i.shtml
Unfortunately, this platform is outdated by the time of release, although it has several interesting features and advantages.
- Single-core processor with HyperThreading technology provides more time than similar processors from other companies (here and hereinafter for Android)
- There is no compatibility with Android programs using ARM-libraries (these are almost all three-dimensional games) - in the latest Android SDK you can already compile the program for both ARM and x86 architecture.
In order not to get into the jungle I will say the following. In theory, the use of x86 architecture makes it possible to reuse a large number of programs (chunks of code), which will facilitate development (I remind you, in theory, since this statement seems doubtful to me - most developers will create their netlenki from scratch). Even non-standard screen resolution follows from the fact that the platform was originally focused on netbooks.
From the point of view of Intel, the next step is to increase the number of cores in the processor, as well as the creation of a processor family. Here, the approach is comparable to the fact that NVidia is using - the old solution goes to the lower price segment (Z2460 turns into Z2000 and becomes much cheaper to be installed in very inexpensive smartphones - except for changing the process technology by 22 nm, updating the drivers, no changes - the process is 22nm so far questionable).
At the same time, it appears (at the same time, the word is conditional, partners will receive at the same time, but they can launch the market later) - Z2580 - dual-core processor up to 2 GHz, support for LTE. In real samples, the frequency of the processor (cores) will be at the level of 1.5-1-6 GHz - I doubt that there is a need to do something more.
Z2580 was supposed to appear in October, November 2012, but for various reasons, the yield of this product was postponed, it will appear in February-March 2013. Accordingly, the output is transferred and the first Tizen-smartphones. Samsung in general is extremely reluctant to release products on this hardware platform, as they are waiting for Merrifield (22 nm, updated architecture, graphics, performance and running time). With this platform, a lot of incomprehensible remains, since the terms inside Intel are constantly being transferred. This platform allows you to create multi-core solutions 2x4x. Unfortunately, at the time of its release competitors will have 8 nuclear solutions. This is autumn 2013 at best.
From the point of view of the hardware (chipset) stuffing, I gave a brief insight into what will happen. My judgment is this: with the release of Merrifield, Intel will come closer to its competitors, the gap will not be as deafening as it is now. In many ways, of course, it depends on the price positioning of specific products. But here the question is addressed to Samsung - let's look at the first Tizen smartphone that may appear on the market.
Samsung uses a very correct strategy, they try all the platforms and operating systems, as resources allow to do it. So it was in the past, also now. No one makes a strategic bet on cooperation with Intel, this is a trial balloon and nothing more. If you look at how many people are working on Tizen, it turns out that this is a very small part of the engineers working on Android, and even less than how many worked on Bada (by the way, in the spring of this year, Bada decided to give up, I wrote about this here - www.mobile-review.com/articles/2012/birulki-169.shtml )
The refusal of Bada put an end to several phone projects at once, two of them were reoriented to work under the control of Tizen. Since Samsung wanted to draw attention to the platform, but to get by with little blood, the company took the same steps as when launching Bada. Analogue of the flagship on Android in a metal case, with a lower cost. But leaving much later.
For Tizen, the flagship that exists as a prototype looks painfully similar to the S7652 Duos, only the color gamut is different
The resolution of the 4 inch SuperAMOLED screen is similar to that of other Intel smartphones today.
Battery 1550 mAh - that is, about two days of work
8 megapixel camera
NFC
Well, everything is as usual for this kind of phones from Samsung.
Unfortunately, the dates for the appearance of this device were postponed to February 2013, and I think that it will either be modified or canceled altogether, since during this time it will become very obsolete. The chassis inside is current (this is not a new version of the chipset - LTE is not). In the updated version of 2013 will be a new chassis.
The estimated cost of such a toy in October was supposed to be 350-375 Euros, which cannot be called a low price.
But the big shock for me was that Bada 3.0 did not die, it just reborn under the name Tizen (initially Bada is a platform for various operating systems below, with a portable UI). So UI Bada found a second birth in Tizen. Inside there are applications that are already running, for example, an app store (but inside is empty).
This device was created in haste, in fact, Wave 4 remade in the first Tizen-smartphone. Now the interface is heavily processed, the terms are constantly being transferred. In February, we will see a completely redesigned, updated TouchWiz, which is completely different from today (see or not, the question of what will happen in the courts with Apple - but this development is in full swing - primarily for the Android platform).
Unfortunately, this product did not hit me, it also, like the Bada-smartphones, has a subordinate character in relation to Android-smartphones from Samsung. The question is whether Intel will be able to create an attractive platform and give impetus to this direction in 2013-2014 (so that people buy smartphones with their chipset inside, as long as it seems questionable).
Samsung's unwillingness to drive horses with Tizen, has caused Intel to go further with Foxconn and operators - at the beginning of the next year, two or three global operators will launch updated smartphones on the new version of the LTE chipset. Until September 2013, the main task of INtel is to convince more partners that the new high-performance chipset really has chances to launch such products. At this point, plans to have the first version of Tizen. In fact, Samsung’s nosebleed should launch it before the summer of 2013. It is possible, but the platform is unlikely to hit our imagination.
Hence the conclusion - Tizen acts like Intel in the role of catching up the market, both hardware and software solutions. It is impossible to consider that even with its investments and advertising opportunities, Intel can make this platform attractive in 2012-2013.
PS He outlined the main events schematically, if there are specific questions, I will answer them with pleasure below.
Background question
Intel really wanted to sell the Intel Atom platform on low-performance netbooks and also have an operating system for it, preferably from Microsoft. At Microsoft, it was considered that creating a version of existing operating systems for netbooks does not make sense, since their performance is low and the number of negative reviews will be greater than the profit from this. The expectation was also that most users would put Windows anyway, but they would no longer blame the manufacturer for poor performance. And I must say that this calculation was fully justified.
In a vain search for alternatives, Intel began to work on the Moblin operating system (mobile Linux - no less, but that's how they saw this OS in the company). Unfortunately, Intel failed to highlight this strategic direction, as a result, the development went very slowly. This story began in 2007.
')
In 2010, Intel agreed to join forces with Nokia - from the side of Nokia, the project invested Maemo for smartphones and partly tablets, from Intel provided work with tablets, as well as netbooks and laptops.
But the main part of the story was not in software - a deal between Nokia and Intel concerned future Intel chipsets that could be used in MeeGo (this is how the platform was called). In fact, by investing in development in this direction, Intel provided Nokia with a sales market for its chipsets. It must be said that in 2010 it was already clear that the Intel Atom platform (x86 architecture) was deafeningly lagging behind its competitors on the ARM architecture. The company realized that this direction must be made strategic and made it so. At Intel, development proceeded along two paths - forming a team, buying up assets that would help in future development (for example, the company bought Infineon, which had a large number of patents on cellular communication systems - the former daughter of Siemens). The development of the operating system was not a priority; here Nokia was the main partner.
In 2011, Nokia refused to cooperate and turned off all the work. Moreover, black times came for MeeGo, since all the interface developments remained with Nokia, the company refused to sell or transfer them to anyone. De facto, Intel continued to create its own processors, platform, but remained without its own operating system for them. Intel's ambitions are not only to create chipsets for today's popular OS - Android, Windows, but also to have its own OS, which can be an additional advantage when choosing its hardware solutions.
After Nokia’s refusal to work with Intel, our other partner’s company is Samsung. Terms of the transaction are completely similar - Samsung is working on the OS, while Intel is creating a hardware platform. The only difference is that Samsung’s experience in creating its own operating systems and platforms is minimal, and Bada proved that companies have a lot to learn and how to change before it can create completely complete, sustainable solutions in the long run.
Therefore, when we talk about the Tizen project, it is necessary to understand that Samsung is more responsible for the part with the OS, but the hardware stuff, the drivers and everything else, all on the side of Intel. At the moment, it’s impossible to say that someone other than Samsung plans a large number of Tizen devices (this platform will in theory be completely open, as well as Android - any manufacturer will be able to manufacture their devices).
Intel Atom today and in 2013
Currently, Intel has only three smartphones, each of which has a Z2460 chipset inside (in fact, these devices were ready at the end of 2010, but began to be sold this summer). An example of a device on this chipset is the same Megaphone Mint, launched for sale the other day in Russia - www.mobile-review.com/review/megafon-mint-sp-a20i.shtml
Unfortunately, this platform is outdated by the time of release, although it has several interesting features and advantages.
- Single-core processor with HyperThreading technology provides more time than similar processors from other companies (here and hereinafter for Android)
- There is no compatibility with Android programs using ARM-libraries (these are almost all three-dimensional games) - in the latest Android SDK you can already compile the program for both ARM and x86 architecture.
In order not to get into the jungle I will say the following. In theory, the use of x86 architecture makes it possible to reuse a large number of programs (chunks of code), which will facilitate development (I remind you, in theory, since this statement seems doubtful to me - most developers will create their netlenki from scratch). Even non-standard screen resolution follows from the fact that the platform was originally focused on netbooks.
From the point of view of Intel, the next step is to increase the number of cores in the processor, as well as the creation of a processor family. Here, the approach is comparable to the fact that NVidia is using - the old solution goes to the lower price segment (Z2460 turns into Z2000 and becomes much cheaper to be installed in very inexpensive smartphones - except for changing the process technology by 22 nm, updating the drivers, no changes - the process is 22nm so far questionable).
At the same time, it appears (at the same time, the word is conditional, partners will receive at the same time, but they can launch the market later) - Z2580 - dual-core processor up to 2 GHz, support for LTE. In real samples, the frequency of the processor (cores) will be at the level of 1.5-1-6 GHz - I doubt that there is a need to do something more.
Z2580 was supposed to appear in October, November 2012, but for various reasons, the yield of this product was postponed, it will appear in February-March 2013. Accordingly, the output is transferred and the first Tizen-smartphones. Samsung in general is extremely reluctant to release products on this hardware platform, as they are waiting for Merrifield (22 nm, updated architecture, graphics, performance and running time). With this platform, a lot of incomprehensible remains, since the terms inside Intel are constantly being transferred. This platform allows you to create multi-core solutions 2x4x. Unfortunately, at the time of its release competitors will have 8 nuclear solutions. This is autumn 2013 at best.
From the point of view of the hardware (chipset) stuffing, I gave a brief insight into what will happen. My judgment is this: with the release of Merrifield, Intel will come closer to its competitors, the gap will not be as deafening as it is now. In many ways, of course, it depends on the price positioning of specific products. But here the question is addressed to Samsung - let's look at the first Tizen smartphone that may appear on the market.
Samsung and the company's plans for Tizen
Samsung uses a very correct strategy, they try all the platforms and operating systems, as resources allow to do it. So it was in the past, also now. No one makes a strategic bet on cooperation with Intel, this is a trial balloon and nothing more. If you look at how many people are working on Tizen, it turns out that this is a very small part of the engineers working on Android, and even less than how many worked on Bada (by the way, in the spring of this year, Bada decided to give up, I wrote about this here - www.mobile-review.com/articles/2012/birulki-169.shtml )
The refusal of Bada put an end to several phone projects at once, two of them were reoriented to work under the control of Tizen. Since Samsung wanted to draw attention to the platform, but to get by with little blood, the company took the same steps as when launching Bada. Analogue of the flagship on Android in a metal case, with a lower cost. But leaving much later.
For Tizen, the flagship that exists as a prototype looks painfully similar to the S7652 Duos, only the color gamut is different
The resolution of the 4 inch SuperAMOLED screen is similar to that of other Intel smartphones today.
Battery 1550 mAh - that is, about two days of work
8 megapixel camera
NFC
Well, everything is as usual for this kind of phones from Samsung.
Unfortunately, the dates for the appearance of this device were postponed to February 2013, and I think that it will either be modified or canceled altogether, since during this time it will become very obsolete. The chassis inside is current (this is not a new version of the chipset - LTE is not). In the updated version of 2013 will be a new chassis.
The estimated cost of such a toy in October was supposed to be 350-375 Euros, which cannot be called a low price.
But the big shock for me was that Bada 3.0 did not die, it just reborn under the name Tizen (initially Bada is a platform for various operating systems below, with a portable UI). So UI Bada found a second birth in Tizen. Inside there are applications that are already running, for example, an app store (but inside is empty).
This device was created in haste, in fact, Wave 4 remade in the first Tizen-smartphone. Now the interface is heavily processed, the terms are constantly being transferred. In February, we will see a completely redesigned, updated TouchWiz, which is completely different from today (see or not, the question of what will happen in the courts with Apple - but this development is in full swing - primarily for the Android platform).
Unfortunately, this product did not hit me, it also, like the Bada-smartphones, has a subordinate character in relation to Android-smartphones from Samsung. The question is whether Intel will be able to create an attractive platform and give impetus to this direction in 2013-2014 (so that people buy smartphones with their chipset inside, as long as it seems questionable).
Samsung's unwillingness to drive horses with Tizen, has caused Intel to go further with Foxconn and operators - at the beginning of the next year, two or three global operators will launch updated smartphones on the new version of the LTE chipset. Until September 2013, the main task of INtel is to convince more partners that the new high-performance chipset really has chances to launch such products. At this point, plans to have the first version of Tizen. In fact, Samsung’s nosebleed should launch it before the summer of 2013. It is possible, but the platform is unlikely to hit our imagination.
Hence the conclusion - Tizen acts like Intel in the role of catching up the market, both hardware and software solutions. It is impossible to consider that even with its investments and advertising opportunities, Intel can make this platform attractive in 2012-2013.
PS He outlined the main events schematically, if there are specific questions, I will answer them with pleasure below.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/150255/
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