Tag: samsung pay

Apple Pay Will Enter India By The End Of 2017
On September 12, Apple launched the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, the eagerly awaited iPhone X along with Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple TV 4K. Apple also announced that the global rollout of iOS 11, which was announced at the WWDC 2017, will start seeding to compatible iPhones and iPads on September 19. One of the most popular features available on iOS devices is Apple Pay, which is not yet available in India. However, sources close to iGyaan tell us that Apple has begun testing Apple Pay in India and will be introduced in the country by the end of 2017. Sources tell us that Apple is in talks with several merchants like Starbucks and Croma stores, and banks like HDFC Bank, Standard Chartered, and Citi Bank to introduce the contactless payment machines compatible with Apple Pay at their outlets.

Apple Pay securely stores credit cards, debit cards, or other sensitive payment information from the Wallet app and lets the user pay for goods directly from their mobile device. For Apple Pay to work, the merchant needs to have a contactless machine which is compatible with Apple Pay. During the transaction, TouchID or FaceID is required to authenticate the payment. Once the authentication is successful, a subtle vibration confirms that the transaction was successful.

The cardless payment service works on the new MacBook with TouchID and all iOS devices launched after iPhone 6, including the iPhone SE which is one of the most popular iOS devices in India and also the only Apple product currently being manufactured in India at the company’s Bengaluru Campus. Devices compatible with Apple Pay are:
- iPhone 6/6 Plus
- iPhone6s/6s Plus
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 7/7 Plus
- iPhone 8/8 Plus
- iPhone X
- iPad Pro
- iPad Air 2/iPad Air 3
- iPad Mini 3/iPad Mini 4
- Apple Watch Series 1/ Series 2/ Series 3
- MacBook Pro 2017 with TouchID
Samsung has already introduced Samsung Pay in India which works exactly like Apple Pay, except that it doesn’t need a compatible contactless machine to work. Samsung Pay works with any card payment machine, giving it an advantage over Apple Pay. Other online payment apps like PayTM also allow its users to make cardless payments directly through the PayTM app, although, you need to top up your PayTM balance before making any transactions. In the case of Samsung and Apple Pay, transactions are made directly from the credit or debit card synced with your account.

Google also launched its own UPI based mobile payments app, Tez in India on September 18th. The app has a widespread support of banks and the Finance Minister of India, Mr. Arun Jaitley himself launched the app and even made the first ever Tez transaction. It will be interesting to see how many banks come on board with Apple Pay and how Indian consumers react to the service as the convenience of PayTM and a surge of Google Tez by December may hamper the popularity of Apple Pay. However, considering Apple is India’s second largest premium smartphone maker along with Apple Pay’s integration with iOS 11 and the Apple ecosystem may persuade iPhone and other Apple product owners to switch to Apple Pay.
September 18, 2017
Samsung Pay to Launch in Other Countries by Early 2016

There have been a couple of smartphone manufacturers in the news today regarding mobile payment services. Earlier today we reported that LG is working a mobile payment platform, and now Samsung is looking to introduce Samsung Pay in some other countries as well.

Samsung Pay uses NFC technology and Magnetic Secure Transmissions (MST). Since MST technology is used by every retailer that swipes a credit card, Samsung Pay can be used at more retailers than Apple Pay and Android Pay.

So far, Samsung Pay has been launched in Korea and the U.S. In Korea, Samsung Pay has seen $30 million in transactions, which is reason enough for the company to expand. Rumour has it that Samsung is now eyeing China, Spain and the U.K during the first quarter of 2016.

If Samsung Pay launches successfully in these countries as well, we could see further expansion plans by the Korean giant. As of now, India is still not on Samsung’s list, but never say never.

November 19, 2015
Samsung Pay is Already a Smashing Success in South Korea

Mobile payment seems to be the next big thing getting users excited in the tech world. It refers to transactions, under specific financial regulations to ensure safety, using a mobile device. The latest company to be in news related to this tech development is Samsung, creating headlines with Samsung Pay.

The newest service of the company has been launched in its home country of South Korea less than a month ago, and the company claims it has already witnessed transactions amounting to $30 million. This amount is spread across 1.5 million transactions. They were made by people who were active throughout the course of last month, many using the service every day. The device mainly used for it was Samsung Galaxy Note 5.

Earlier, Google Wallet has been a noticeable name in the realm of mobile payment. Apple is yet to introduce the service and there is little official news available about its launch. It would be interesting to see Samsung Pay pitted against other tech giants and the way in which market responds to it outside Korea.

September 26, 2015
Microsoft to Introduce Mobile-Based Payment System to Take on Samsung and Apple

Smartphones have become an even essential part of our lives. With the addition of payment systems, smartphones will soon take over the role of your wallet. While Samsung and Apple have already introduced their payment systems, other manufacturers are joining in. Microsoft, the makers of Windows Phone devices, have also announced that they will be unveiling their payment system soon.

Microsoft had showcased a tap to pay feature on its devices at a conference for Windows hardware makers in China. It was said then that this feature would not require support from the network operators. Just like Samsung and Apple Pay, this feature will also be based on NFC.

Microsoft’s plans were brought to light by Faisal Khan, a banking consultant. He found that Microsoft has already got permission from the American state of Idaho and has applied for licenses in all the states of the country.

Mobile payment was available on Windows phone through the Softcard app but the service closed down when Google bought Softcard. Bill Gates had predicted, after the launch of Apple Pay, the technology will soon be available on all smartphones. Considering the speed at which things are moving, it might be easy to visualize such a future.

April 7, 2015
5 Interesting Upgrades on Samsung’s New Flagships That You Should Know

Samsung finally launched its long awaited and much hyped Galaxy S6 in two variants. The Korean electronics giant has faced a lot of criticism in the past for their lackluster devices and boring user interface. So when the time came to answer the criticism, Samsung went back to the drawing board and introduced two new designs for its flagship.

Let’s look at the upgrades in these new Samsung flagship and how it can take on its competition.

The Edge Samsung Needed

Samsung has been getting heat for its design for a while, but this new metallic look is surely a winner. The S6 Edge especially flaunts a design that looks sleek yet refreshingly new. The price of the device will definitely sting the potential buyers, but it will also give the satisfaction of owning a one of a kind device. The Edge display also offers new features like color coding some contacts so you can know who is calling based on the color displayed by the edge light. The devices are also strengthened with Gorilla Glass 4 on both sides. Smudges may be an issue on this back case, but it sure gives a premium vibe, unlike any other device from Samsung’s stable.

First Samsung Flagship With a Non-Removable Battery

Samsung has for long stuck with the removable battery as it claimed it offered more convenience to the user, but this time around the company has taken away that access. At the launch, the presenter said that they have reached a point where they are confident about the battery performance and hence have introduced a uni-body design. Samsung has also added a fast charging feature that will give the handset 4 hours of juice with just 10 minutes of charging.

Wireless Charging, The way it should be

Its 2015 and we are still haggling with the cables the way we did when the first desktop computers came out. Wireless charging technology has been around for a while but due to certain technical issues, it hasn’t reached devices on the mass scale. The new S6 works with WPC platforms such as Qi charging as well as PMA systems that will let you charge your handset on most wireless charging pads.

Samsung Pay, the mobile payment platform for Now

Apple introduced its mobile payment system last year but will take a while to reach the consumers as it depends on NFC. Samsung went way ahead in the mobile payment game with its offering called the ‘Samsung Pay.’ You now won’t have to wait for retail stores to get NFC payment systems as you can use your S6 to pay through conventional card readers. Just store the credit card information and tap the device on the card readers, and you are done paying. Samsung claims that the details of your transactions will only be visible to you, and no store, not even Samsung can track your card usage.

A Flagship worthy camera

Samsung has put some efforts into the camera of the Galaxy S6, both in terms of hardware as well as the software. The main camera is a 16 MP shooter with OIS that means clear images with no shakes, whereas the front camera is a 5 MP selfie shooter. It has offered a 1.9 mm lens on both sides of the device that attracts more light and hence gives clear, sharp images. The company understands the importance of the camera in the times of social media and hence has introduced instant access to it. By just hitting the home button twice, you will get instant access to the easy to use camera interface. Samsung claims that this gesture control lets you access the camera in just 0.7 seconds so that you won’t have a missed moment with the new Galaxy S6.

To Conclude

Overall this launch from Samsung does address most of the criticism levied on it earlier. The new design language is impressive, and we hope that the company trickles it down in its product portfolio to the lower priced devices. You can also say that Samsung has got the edge display right this time around, as experts had previously expressed concerns about the effectiveness of dual sided curved display. Now we have to wait till it reaches the market to know how it fares with the customers.

Stay tuned for the in-depth reviews of Samsung’s new big boys and more on technology, only on iGyaan.

Watch our hands on with Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge here:

March 4, 2015
Samsung Pay is Now Ready to Go Head On With Apple Pay

Samsung has announced its own version of Apple Pay, titled Samsung Pay at MWC 2015. With S-Pay customers can make secure mobile transactions. Samsung has collaborated with Visa and Mastercard and is planning to further expand the eco-system with the likes of American Express, Bank of America, Citi, JP Morgan and US Bank.

Samsung offers this capability by deploying a technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). Consumers can use Samsung Pay in merchant locations regardless of whether the terminals support NFC or traditional magstripe, which is the vast majority of existing terminals.

The system essentially relies on the Galaxy S and Note devices fingerprint sensor. Users just need to swipe up from the bottom to launch the Samsung Pay app, choose their credit card and simply authenticate the transaction with their fingerprint. Proper safety measures have been taken, Samsung has integrated the system with its KNOX platform, ARM TrustZone and tokenization.

Samsung claims it has tied up with 90% retailers in the US already. Samsung Pay launches in the United States and Korea in the summer, while other regions (such as Europe and China) will follow later. The first devices to support it will be the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

March 1, 2015
Samsung to Introduce Apple Pay-Like Payment System With Galaxy S6

Samsung wants its next flagship Galaxy S6 to overtake all existing records and attain the top spot among the users. The South Korean firm is taking every possible measure to ensure this and according to a Korean media report, the company is geared to launch a new payment system, Samsung Pay, with the Galaxy S6.

The Korean Times stated –

Samsung Electronics’ new smartphone Galaxy S6, set to make its debut at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in Spain next month, will look a lot like Apple’s iPhone 6, sources said Monday

As per the report, the producer has already partnered with VISA as one of the payment partners in the system. The Samsung Payment System will be based on LoopPay technology. Through the new fingerprint sensor embedded on Galaxy S6, users can pay by just touching LoopPay-enabled cards. The rumour going around is that the device will sport a non-swipe fingerprint sensor that requires you to place your finger and hold it for a minute like the iPhone.

Meanwhile, talks have surfaced that LoopPay is working on cases for Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4. These cases would be touch-enabled and will allow making payments through phones like the upcoming Galaxy S6. As of now, there is no information about Samsung Pay coming to Note Edge, but we expect the company will extend support to this device as well.

There are a lot of speculations about the forthcoming flagship by Samsung; as many wait anxiously for its upcoming launch at the MWC. Samsung has used many tactics to market this phone, but only time will tell whether it will live up to its expectation.

February 4, 2015