7 Samsung Wallet Milestones

Published February 13, 2015 3:36 PM

|

Updated October 20, 2016 10:35 AM

1 Min Read

Event employees hold up Samsung Electronics Co. Galaxy Note 3 smartphones and a Galaxy Gear smartwatch at the launch event for the two devices in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013. Samsung is releasing the new devices in 58 countries today, expanding to approximately 140 countries by next month, according to an emailed statement. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg

Apple isn't the only device maker with its own mobile wallet. Though Samsung hasn't launched anything like Apple Pay, every year Samsung has added new technology to its smartphones and wearables to piece together the elements of a true mobile wallet. (Image: Bloomberg News)

A Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Galaxy S4 smartphone, right, sits on display inside an OAO Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) retail outlet in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, July 11, 2013. OAO Mobile TeleSystems's chief said Russia's largest mobile-phone operator would need better terms to back Apple Inc. handsets again after Windows smartphones advanced to almost match iPhones in market share. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

Samsung's 'Passbook'

In early 2013, Samsung revealed its Samsung Wallet, which stores payment cards and tickets in a similar manner as Apple's Passbook. Though many of Samsung's phones were built with Near Field Communication technology, Samsung Wallet did not link to NFC and thus could not be used for NFC wireless payments. (Image: Bloomberg News)

Fixing Bar Code's Bug

Most mobile wallets use blocky QR codes because traditional bar code laser scanners don't work with smartphone screens. But the Samsung Galaxy S4 was built with a special sensor that sends pulses of light to a bar code reader, imitating the black-and-white sequencing of a standard bar code. (Image: iStock)

The components of a disassembled Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone stand on display in an exhibition hall at the Samsung Innovation Museum, operated by Samsung Electronics Co., in Suwon, South Korea, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014. Anticipation for a restructuring of the family-run Samsung Group, whose revenues amount to about a quarter of Korea's gross domestic product, escalated after the hospitalization of 72-year-old patriarch Lee Kun Hee in May put a spotlight on the firms succession plans. Photographer: Woohae Cho/Bloomberg

Woohae Cho/Bloomberg

Future Developments

Samsung's rumored deal with LoopPay, which makes technology that wirelessly simulates the swipe of a payment card, would enable its phones to work with 90% of ordinary payment terminals. (Image: Bloomberg News)

*** HOLD FOR EMBARGO MONDAY, FEB. 24 2000CET *** Galaxy S5 smartphones sit on display during a Samsung Electronics Co. news conference ahead of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014. Top telecommunication managers will rub shoulders in Barcelona next week at the Mobile World Congress, Monday, Feb. 24 - 27, a traditional venue for showcasing the latest products for dealmaking. Photographer: Angel Navarette/Bloomberg

Angel Navarette/Bloomberg

Carrier Billing

Samsung also works with Bango, a U.K. company, for its carrier billing services. Digital content sold through the Samsung Galaxy Apps store can be paid as a charge on the user's phone bill worldwide. (Image: Bloomberg News)

Wolfe, Daniel

Packing in PayPal

Most recent Samsung phones and smartwatches launched with some form of support from PayPal, which takes advantage of the unique features of each device.

Fingerprint Recognition

If Apple Pay popularizes fingerprint authentication, Samsung won't be left out. Its current Galaxy smartphone model comes with a built-in fingerprint reader (and PayPal supports this hardware for authentication). (Image: iStock)

Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Gear wearable devices for KDDI Corp.'s "au" brand sit on display during a product launch event in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. KDDI is Japan's second-largest mobile carrier. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Adding Android Wear

Samsung has its own operating system for smartwatches, but it also offers a device for Google's Android Wear platform, making it possible for Samsung devotees to use any Android Wear payment app. (Image: Bloomberg News)