Tizen and BlackBerry are already dead platforms, but they have suffered fatal blows that make them virtually impossible to use as alternatives to Android.
Tizen Help reports (h / t: GSMArena) that Samsung closed the Tizen app store for smartphones from December 31, 2021. The app store was limited to existing users as of June 2021, but the shutdown means that even existing consumers will have to look elsewhere.
Tizen was by no means a popular smartphone platform, with Samsung’s last series of Tizen Galaxy Z phones released in 2017. So it’s no surprise that Samsung is going down this route, but it marks the end. of an era. The platform has actually seen more success in the smartwatch arena, but the Korean manufacturer is now adopting Wear OS 3.
BlackBerry also suffers fatal blows
The past week has also seen another blow for those hanging on to phones with alternative platforms, as BlackBerry OS devices hit end of life status. BlackBerry announced that effective January 4, 2022, legacy services for BlackBerry OS 7.1 and earlier, BlackBerry 10, and PlayBook OS will no longer be available. These legacy services include data, phone calls, emergency calls, and SMS.
Tizen and BlackBerry 10 join old Android rivals like BadaOS, Windows Phone, MeeGo and WebOS in falling apart.
In fact, the only notable Android alternative still available (aside from iOS and custom ROMs) is the Sailfish OS platform. But this project is only available on a few phones and requires you to spend € 49.90 (~ $ 57) to access Android app support and firmware updates.