Samsung Pay no longer on cheaper phones
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Samsung Electronics recently stopped embedding its mobile payment system, Samsung Pay, in budget smartphones, industry watchers said Sunday, apparently to save costs by excluding the feature, which has been less popular among teens and senior users.
Among 10 smartphones released by Samsung Electronics in Korea this year, only three – the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus and Galaxy A8 – supported Samsung Pay. Other models with prices lower than 700,000 won ($628) did not come with the payment tool.
In contrast, the Galaxy J5 and J7 smartphones, released last year with prices below 400,000 won, had the Samsung Pay program.
Samsung Pay is a mobile payment tool that works on traditional credit card machines based on magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology and also supports the near field communication (NFC) technology.
Industry watchers said Samsung apparently sought to cut production costs of budget smartphones, which mainly target teens and senior users who are less familiar with mobile-based credit card payment systems.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific Samsung phone models released this year still support Samsung Pay?
Which specific Samsung phone models released this year still support Samsung Pay?
This year, Samsung Pay is supported on the Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, and Galaxy A8 models. Other smartphones with prices under 700,000 won did not include the payment tool, unlike some previous budget models.
Q.What is the primary reason industry watchers believe Samsung has stopped including Pay on cheaper phones?
What is the primary reason industry watchers believe Samsung has stopped including Pay on cheaper phones?
Industry watchers believe Samsung is attempting to save costs on budget smartphones by excluding Samsung Pay. They suggest this feature was less popular with the target demographic of teens and senior users for these cheaper devices.
Q.How does Samsung Pay technology work with existing payment terminals?
How does Samsung Pay technology work with existing payment terminals?
Samsung Pay operates using both magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology, which allows it to work with traditional credit card machines. It also supports near field communication (NFC) technology for newer terminals, offering broad compatibility.