With the launch of Samsung Pay in Mexico, users with a compatible Galaxy device^* will now be able to easily make purchases through their smartphones at nearly any establishment across the country that accepts credit, debit, or loyalty cards.

While other payment platforms are limited by their use of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, Samsung Pay offers both NFC and its proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, making it the most widely accepted mobile payment solution on the market. MST works by releasing a signal that acts like a traditional payment card’s magnetic band, allowing users to pay at nearly any conventional point of sale terminal^**.

To bring this service to Mexico, Samsung strategically partnered with some of the country’s leading financial partners, including payment providers (American Express, MasterCard and Visa); banks (Banorte, Banregio, Citibanamex, HSBC and Santander); and banking acquirers, services and tools such as Clip and iZettle.

“We are excited to expand Samsung Pay across Latin America and are confident that our customers in Mexico will embrace the ability to easily pay and earn rewards through the convenience of their smartphones,” said Claudia Contreras, Marketing Director of Samsung Electronics Mexico. “We will continue working to forge alliances with additional partner institutions that our customers care about to reach even more users and help drive the growth of the digital economy.”

In addition to its widespread acceptance and ease of use, Samsung Pay is also one of the most secure payment options for users. Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to ensure its transactions are secure: biometric authentication through fingerprint or iris recognition; tokenization, a system that generates virtual information for each transaction rather than storing financial details in the device; and integration with Samsung Knox, the defense-grade security platform that monitors the device in real time to prevent suspicious use.

For a full list of partners that have aligned with Samsung Pay in Mexico, please visit: www.samsung.com/mx/samsungpay.

^*In Mexico, Samsung Pay is compatible with the Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy A8 and A8+ (2018), Galaxy A5 (2016 and 2017), Galaxy A7 (2016 and 2017), Galaxy A9 (2016), Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy J5Pro and Galaxy J7Pro. Samsung Pay is exclusively for Samsung Galaxy smartphones and available through select payment networks, banks and retailers. The service’s availability is subject to change.

^**Available almost anywhere, subject to Samsung Pay’s compatibility with MST and/or NFC payment terminals. Card readers on certain payment terminals could require a software update in order to become fully compatible with Samsung Pay.

FaceSense is a product of C-Lab (Creative Lab), Samsung’s startup business program that nurtures its employees’ innovative ideas to develop the technologies of tomorrow. The project presents a new approach to VR navigation that works just as its name implies: by tracking movement in the user’s face.

Whenever we speak, change our expression or shift our gaze, our faces generate electric signals. FaceSense recognizes and translates these biometric signals into input for navigation, allowing users to maneuver through VR worlds with intuitive movements and simple voice commands, rather than reaching for out-of-sight physical controls.

The prototype showcased at the exhibition was designed for Samsung’s Gear VR headset, and may one day lead to the development of further biometric technologies that allow more individuals, including those with various usage impediments, to enjoy immersive VR experiences.

The Samsung employees behind FaceSense showcased the C-Lab project at VRLA Expo 2017, the world’s largest virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) exhibition, held from April 14-15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The team based their prototype’s design on Samsung’s Gear VR headset.

FaceSense works by recognizing and translating biometric signals in the user’s face, allowing them to navigate immersive VR worlds hands-free.

The technology registers movement in the user’s eyes and facial muscles, and is also capable of recognizing certain words.

The prototype is currently capable of recognizing voice commands such as ‘home’, ‘back’, ‘select’ and ‘cancel’.

FaceSense’s intuitive controls open the door for more users to experience immersive VR.

The Galaxy Note7’s new iris scanning technology provides users with an additional form of authentication to reinforce security. But new technology can raise a lot of questions. Here is a list of FAQs to clarify anything you might have been wondering about the Galaxy Note7’s iris scanner.

Q. How do I save my iris data on the Galaxy Note7? Isn’t it difficult?

Registering your iris information is not only incredibly easy, but it’s fast, too. All you need to do is access the Irises tab from the Lock screen and security menu in Settings to register one or both of your irises.

Simply hold your device 25-35 centimeters from your face with the screen facing toward you, position your eyes in the circles shown on the screen and follow the prompts. In a matter of seconds, the iris sensor extracts your iris patterns, codes them into a digital form and saves them in the secure TrustZone of Knox.

Q. Does the iris scanner work if I wear glasses or contact lenses? What about if I’ve had LASIK/LASEK surgery?

When you wear eyeglasses, reflected glare from surrounding lights may interfere with iris scanning and recognition. Also, if your lenses are very thick or have a special coating, scanning and recognition speed may be affected. This is also the case for tinted or decorative contact lenses. With sunglasses, the iris scanner does not work properly because sunglass lenses block IR light.

If you have undergone an eye operation like LASIK or LASEK, you will need to re-register your iris information on the device, as the operation may cause slight changes to your cornea and subsequently affect the refraction of light from the iris sensor to your eyes. Likewise, if your eyes are severely swollen or not completely open, the iris scanner may not be able to read your irises.

Q. Can I use the iris scanner anywhere? If the iris scanner can’t recognize my irises, how can I access my Galaxy Note7?

Using the iris scanner in direct sunlight or under bright light may affect the accuracy of the sensor. For maximum effectiveness, move to an area that is slightly shaded when using the iris scanner. A dirty iris camera can also affect the scanner’s reading, so in the case that it doesn’t work, try cleaning the area above the screen.

Additionally, you can unlock the device with an alternative method such as your fingerprint (if it is registered), a pattern, PIN or password. (You will also need to use your selected non-biometric alternative method when the device has been restarted or has been inactive for 24 hours.)

Q. What functions can I use with the iris scanner?

The Galaxy Note7’s iris recognition technology allows for all-around reinforced mobile security for functions such as unlocking your device, or verifying your identity in place of your Samsung account.

The device’s iris scanner can be used to activate Samsung Pass, a new feature that acts as a master key for mobile banking services and automatic website login on the Samsung Internet browser. You can also add another layer of security to value-added services like Samsung Pay, as well as safely complete mobile banking transactions or lock private data through Secure Folder.

For enterprise users, iris scanning technology can be utilized to authenticate access to the Knox Workspace container.

Q. Is iris scanning really safer than fingerprint scanning?

While fingerprint and iris authentication both provide a high level of security, iris scanning is one of the most secure and reliable biometric techniques available today. This is because each individual has a uniquely different and highly intricate iris pattern in each eye, which is almost impossible to replicate.

Furthermore, users can only register the iris pattern(s) of one person on each device, which means that even if the smartphone is stolen or lost and someone else is able to gain access to the smartphone, the user’s iris information won’t be compromised.

Lastly, iris scanning results in fewer false acceptances than fingerprint scanning, according to some studies.

Q. Where does the iris information get stored once it’s registered? Does it get processed safely? If I use it to login to a website, or for a mobile banking transaction, does it get saved on the server?

With the Galaxy Note7, registered iris data is stored safely in the hardware by Samsung’s trusted Knox platform, just as fingerprint data has been stored in the past.

This means that when iris data is used for user authentication for web log-in or Samsung Pay, for example, it is not in its raw form. Instead, it is digitized and encrypted as a code which is stored at the hardware level. Therefore, Knox provides an added level of security so users can be confident that their personal information is always safe.

Q. There’s a red light that flickers when I use the iris scanner. What is it, and isn’t it bad for my eyes?

This red light is an infrared LED, and it enables the best range for iris scanning to ensure maximum accuracy. It is completely safe to use and there are no health implications associated with the technology. It has even received the highest International Electrotechnical Commission IEC62471 certification level.

In addition, the light will automatically switch off if the device detects that your eyes are too close or exposed to the IR LED for more than nine seconds.

*All functionality features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation.