Samsung launched an app store for its Tizen operating system, alongside the first phone to run the platform.

The apps in the Tizen store only work on devices running the OS, with users needing to have a Samsung account to download and make purchases.

The Tizen Store will be crucial for fueling the uptake of the Samsung Z1, which has initially been launched in India.

There will need to be a sufficient amount of big-name titles and localised content for users to be attracted to the operating system in significant numbers.

Samsung claimed the Z1 offers “exclusive benefits for localised entertainment apps and a simple user interface that makes mobility easier and more enjoyable, even for the first-time smartphone users”.

There have been a number of setbacks for Tizen, including a failed launch of a device in Russia and the loss of operator support from NTT Docomo and Orange. However, Samsung launched two smart watches running Tizen at last year’s Mobile World Congress.