Over the weekend, Samsung Electronics announced its expansion into the mobile payment game, as well as its flagship Galaxy S smartphone series.
Following up on the success of the Galaxy S5, Samsung is doubling-down on its coolness by introducing the S6 and S6 Edge. The latter’s premium selling point is that it has two gently curved edges on each side.
In addition to these two smartphones, Samsung also unveiled its Samsung Pay mobile framework, scheduled to debut this summer.
Working much like Apple Pay, Android Pay, and PayPal, Samsung’s service utilizes NFC and a new-ish tech called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). It is that particular option that has pundits and technophiles extremely excited because MST tricks terminals that don’t accept NFC into thinking a card has been swiped. The foray into mobile payments comes on the heels of Samsung's February purchase of LoopPay, with its MST technology.
Users who own a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge will be able to swipe up from the lower bezel to employ Samsung Pay. By authenticating purchases or transactions with your fingerprint, users just place their smartphone next to the payment terminal’s card reader, and ka-ching, a signal is generated indicating that one’s "card" has been "swiped."
While there are still questions about how MST will work with the newer chip-and-pin cards and terminals, Samsung Pay aims to bridge the gap between its users and the growing tokenization system.
The S6 and S6 Edge are both designed for users to create great selfies, with the former sporting a 5.1-inch Quad HD display. Boasting 75 percent more pixels than its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S5, users will enjoy the phone’s real-time HDR, 5-MP and 16-MP sensors (front-and-rear cameras), and unbendable metal.
With 2,550 mAh and 2,600 mAh batteries (S6 and S6 Edge, respectively), users should be able to enjoy having their phones however and whenever they want for quite awhile. Add to the mix that 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB versions will be available in contrast to Apple’s 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB versions for the iPhone 6, and users are already witnessing another round in the lengthy smartphone war.
How much will this cost, you ask? Rumors are already swirling that the price will likely be around what the S5 cost when it was new. However, certain promotions may be instituted to help entice new buyers to purchase or switch services.
Last, but certainly not least from Mobile World Congress, Samsung announced the Samsung Gear VR Innovator Edition for the S6 and S6 Edge. First unveiled at an event in New York City pegged to the upcoming movie Insurgent, users will eventually be given the opportunity to immerse themselves in cinematic virtual reality with this latest product. It has been designed as a companion device to the new smartphones and is a bit smaller so it is more comfortable.
