A failed smartphone OS paved the way in which for this contemporary TV innovation

If you happen to presently personal (or have beforehand owned)

a Samsung smart TV
, then you definitely’ll be accustomed to the customized working system that powers your flat panel. This software program is known as

Tizen
, and it is an in-house OS constructed by

Samsung
to be used in its lineup of TV merchandise.

In contrast to

Google TV
,

tvOS
, and different software program platforms, Tizen stays a reasonably enigmatic working system with little public notoriety. Because it seems, nevertheless, Tizen has a storied previous — here is the lowdown on what precisely makes Tizen distinctive, and why Samsung sensible TVs ship with it out of the field.

What’s Tizen, precisely?

Tizen is Samsung’s in-house working system

Pocket-lint / Samsung

Tizen is an in-house working system owned and maintained by South Korean tech big

Samsung
. The OS is constructed utilizing Linux at a foundational degree, and plenty of of its core parts are open-source. Samsung launched the primary model of Tizen in April 2012, with the newest secure launch, model 9.0, arriving in October 2024.

Technically talking, Tizen’s roots lengthen way back to 2007 — Intel, Nokia, the Linux Basis, Dash, Samsung, and others all performed a task within the conceptualization, founding, and constructing of Tizen. Right now, the OS stays largely in Samsung’s arms on account of a sequence of enterprise mergers, adjustments in improvement plans, and different trade developments.

Samsung went on to launch a number of

Tizen-powered smartphones
and smartwatches within the 2010s, in an effort to rival Google’s Android platform within the cellular OS area. Tizen telephones in the end did not take off, and Samsung switched from Tizen to Put on OS on Galaxy smartwatches after

joining forces to co-develop Wear OS
with Google in 2021.

On account of all this, Tizen in 2025 is primarily understood to be a sensible TV platform, with all the newest and biggest Samsung flat panels delivery with the OS preinstalled.

Associated

I use these 4 Tizen features to get the most out of my Samsung TV

Tizen is not the flashiest TV working system, but it surely does proceed to innovate with some helpful options.

What does Tizen run on?

Tizen runs totally on Samsung sensible TVs

Samsung

Samsung provides a dedicated web portal which lists all currently-available sensible TVs that run its Tizen working system. This record contains fashions equivalent to:

• Samsung Tizen 4K AU7000
• Samsung Tizen 4K BU8500
• Samsung Tizen 4K Q80B
• Samsung Tizen 8K QN900B

Tizen is accessible throughout the breadth of recent Samsung sensible TVs, whether or not we’re speaking about entry-level panels, mid-rangers, or premium flagship fashions.

Associated

I tested Tizen and WebOS to see which OS is better, and the results surprised me

Two of main TV producers closely promote their working methods, however which one is healthier?

Why does Samsung use Tizen on its TVs?

All of it comes right down to software program ecosystem management

Samsung

Samsung opts to ship its Sensible TVs with its personal

Tizen OS
in an effort to train management over each the software program and {hardware} of its large-screen gadgets. Being the de facto platform holder, Samsung is ready to host its personal digital market of Tizen functions. The corporate can even curate the consumer interface because it sees match, which it would not in any other case have the ability to do if it relied on Google’s Android TV platform.

As a significant participant within the shopper electronics area, having management over Tizen gives Samsung with the power to raised tie collectively its sensible TVs and its Galaxy-branded telephones, tablets, and laptops for a extra cohesive ecosystem. For instance, Tizen TVs are appropriate with Samsung’s

SmartThings
sensible house platform, in addition to its Sensible View system for mirroring content material from cellphone to TV.

Associated

I tested both Google TV and Samsung Tizen — here’s which one came out on top

I have been a fan of Tizen for years, however Google TV’s current efficiency has me switching sides.

What makes Tizen stand out from the group?

Tizen gives a stable set of sensible TV options and functionalities

Samsung

Tizen is a full-featured sensible TV working system, with all of the important instruments and interface parts that you just’d discover on rival platforms within the area. The OS options built-in help for Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth (for sharing recordsdata and display screen mirroring), integration with voice assistants like Bixby, Alexa, and Google voice management, and extra.

One of the vital compelling features of Tizen is its Multi View characteristic. As its title implies, the software permits you to break up your display screen into separate sections for displaying devoted content material on the identical panel. You may break up a single Samsung TV display screen into quadrants, permitting you to look at terrestrial TV, mirror your Galaxy cellphone display screen, run third-party apps, and extra all on the identical time.

Associated

I turned my iPhone into a remote for my Samsung TV, and it was surprisingly convenient

In contrast to a TV distant, my iPhone is at all times inside attain and simply as straightforward to make use of to regulate my display screen.