The First Tizen Device: A Smart Camera

Samsung reveals the first consumer device running on Tizen, the open source Linux-based mobile device OS, at the Tizen Developer Summit-- not a smartphone or a tablet but a camera, specifically NX300M smart camera.

Samsung MX300The NX300M is a refresh of the Android-powered NX300 mirrorless camera. It features a 3.31-inch AMOLED rotatable touchscreen, 20.3MP APS-C sensor, dual-channel wifi and NFC support.

Technically the camera is not the first Tizen device available. That particular honour belongs to a developer-aimed 10.1-inch tablet from Japanese vendor Systena.

If you recall, Tizen is a standards-based cross-architecture software platform built on the bones of MeeGo, a now-dead Nokia-Intel Linux-based mobile device OS. The project was first announced on 2011 and devices running on the OS were supposed to be available by H2 2012-- but work hit a number of snags as chief backer Samsung bits on too many Tizen-related projects, including a Mobile Lite and smart TV versions, than it can apparently chew.

In further Tizen-related news Nokia joins the effort on the fledgling OS, as the Here service will power “maps and maps-related functionalities” on Tizen devices.

Go Samsung NX-300M Mirrorless Camera is Actually Tizen (Tizenexperts.com)

Go Nokia Tizen Maps Announcement (Twitter)

Go MeeGo is Dead, Long Live Tizen?