Samsung’s next Tizen phone may be more upmarket

The Tizen OS powered Samsung Z1 has been selling rather well in the few markets where it is available. Therefore would shouldn’t be too surprised to hear that a successor could be in the works, and industry insiders are suggesting that the next Tizen smartphone, tentatively named the Samsung Z3 (SM-Z300H), will feature slightly more upmarket hardware specifications.

According to the report, the Samsung Z3 will feature a 5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1.5GB of RAM and will be powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Spreadtrum SC7730S SoC, which is a decent jump that should put the handset closer to the middle tier of the market.

Other internals include 8GB of storage space, an 8MP rear camera with LED flash, 5MP front facing camera, a 2,600mAh battery, and dual-SIM compatibility. The Z3 apparently sizes up at 141.5 x 70 x 9.5 mm and will weigh approximately 140 grams. The phone is also said to feature an updated Tizen 2.4 operating system.

Recently, Samsung announced that it would be releasing a Gold Edition of the Z1 smartphone, to celebrate over 1 million units sold so far. The smartphone was also the best-selling phone in Bangladesh back in Q1 and has continued to exceed sales expectations thanks to its low price point.

Pricing details for the Z3 were not included in the rumor, but we can probably expect a slightly higher price point to accompany the improved specifications. We’ll have to see if this new handset can continue to appeal to the entry-level market. The next Tizen smartphone is expected to launch sometime in the second half of 2015.