SEOUL, South Korea -- Samsung Electronics Co. started selling a $90 smartphone in India on Wednesday that runs on the company's Tizen software, its first major break from Google's Android operating system in the mobile phone market.
The Samsung Z1 went on sale for $92, one of the cheapest phones that Samsung has introduced.
With the Tizen operating system, Samsung is trying to lessen its dependence on Android software, which powers a majority of the South Korean company's smartphones, including its flagship Galaxy series.
The smartphone is the latest to join the growing list of Samsung's Tizen family. In 2013, Samsung introduced a camera and smartwatches.
Samsung earlier this month said its Internet-connected televisions will use Tizen from this year, allowing the TVs to easily synchronize with Tizen mobile devices.
The Z1 smartphone was unveiled in June but its introduction, promised in Russia, India and others, was postponed. The delays were seen as a setback to Samsung's efforts to have control over the content and services that are used on its devices.
Although Samsung is the world's largest maker of televisions and handsets, its software has not matched its hardware prowess. The company has a history of withdrawing apps or services that received a big marketing push, including ending the short-lived mobile operating system Bada.
The Z1 has a 4-inch display and 3.1 million megapixel camera. It is powered by a 1.2 gigahertz dual-core processor. The battery size is about half of Samsung's top-end smartphones.
Analysts believe Samsung will mainly use the Tizen OS in low-end smartphones for developing nations.
-- The Associated Press