“When Samsung launched Samsung Wallet last year, we committed to building the experience through open partnerships with our business and service providers and ensuring access to the platform for as many people as possible,” said Jeanie Han, EVP and Head of Digital Wallet Team at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics. “Over the past several months, we’ve worked hard to rapidly expand the availability of Samsung Wallet, bringing the platform to more potential users. We look forward to sharing exciting new developments in the year ahead.”

Last year, Samsung successfully launched the Samsung Wallet platform and expanded its services to 21 countries — Bahrain, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea,³ Kuwait, Norway, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vietnam, UAE, the U.K. and the U.S. And, by collaborating with a variety of trusted partners and developers, Samsung Wallet will also continue to grow and enrich your daily life.  

Regardless of where you live, protecting your personal data and information is vital. Samsung Wallet goes above and beyond to safeguard your data by storing it in a secure environment where it’s protected from malware and other potential threats.

¹ Availability and launch of specific features and supported device models may vary by market and are subject to change.

² Exact timing and availability of the updates may vary by user and market.

³ Samsung Wallet features were launched in South Korea under Samsung Pay.

“Samsung Wallet takes everyday convenience to the next level and we have worked closely with our trusted partners and developers to enrich our Wallet experience,” said Jeanie Han, EVP and Head of Digital Life Team at Mobile eXperience Business, Samsung Electronics. “We are focused on bringing the platform to as many markets as possible, as soon as possible, so more Samsung Galaxy users have the opportunity to reap the benefits of the digital wallet.”

Samsung Wallet is a quick, easy and secure way for users to organize and access important documents and identifications — from bank cards and digital keys to travel passes, driver’s licenses and student IDs — with just one swipe. As Samsung continues to collaborate with a variety of trusted partners and developers, the capabilities of Samsung Wallet will continue to grow.

The Samsung Wallet platform is protected by Samsung’s security platform, Samsung Knox, which includes fingerprint recognition and encryption to make sure users’ important data are protected. On top of this, Samsung Wallet stores particularly sensitive documents in an isolated environment, which offers an extra layer of protection against potential digital and physical hacking attempts.

¹ Availability and launch of specific features and supported device models may vary by market and are subject to change.

² Samsung Wallet features were launched in South Korea under Samsung Pay.

³ Exact timing and availability of the updates may vary by user and market.

“Samsung Wallet is bringing a new level of everyday convenience to mobile devices with a totally safe and secure environment for storing digital keys, cards and more,” said Jeanie Han, EVP and Head of Digital Life, MX Business at Samsung Electronics. “As part of our ongoing commitment to open ecosystems, we will continue to expand on the capabilities of Samsung Wallet by working closely with our trusted partners and developers.”

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Wallet gives users a refined interface and one-swipe access to their payment cards, loyalty and membership cards and more.² Samsung Wallet also incorporates the functionality of Samsung Pass which securely stores passwords and enables users to quickly and easily log into apps and services.³ It even helps users quickly monitor their digital asset portfolio by checking the value of their cryptocurrencies across various exchanges⁴ in one place. Later this year, Samsung Wallet will also begin to support official IDs, such as mobile driver’s licences and student IDs.⁵

Convenient Access to Home and Transportation

With the integration of SmartThings and Samsung’s partnerships with well-known home security companies,⁶ users can easily add digital home keys to conveniently lock and unlock their doors with a Galaxy device. Samsung Wallet also supports for digital automobile keys on select BMW, Genesis and Hyundai models⁷ which let users lock and unlock cars, start engines and more. And Samsung’s partnership with Korean Air allows Korean Air boarding passes⁸ to be stored in Samsung Wallet for easy access, making it simple and convenient to board a flight.

As Secure as It Is Simple, Protected by Samsung Knox

Samsung Wallet is protected by a defense-grade security platform, Samsung Knox. Protections include fingerprint recognition and encryption which help safeguard users’ sensitive data, so only the device owners can access their important information. Along with Samsung Knox, certain key sensitive items in Samsung Wallet are stored in an isolated environment — the embedded Secure Element, which also helps protect against digital and physical hacking.

Availability

Galaxy users in six markets⁹ — France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US, can simply open Samsung Pay or Samsung Pass app from their eligible Galaxy devices¹⁰ and follow prompt to update and migrate to Samsung Wallet, or visit the Galaxy Store to learn more.

¹ Availability and launching of specific features may vary by market and user’s device model and are subject to change.
² Available on select cards and programs; details of the services may vary by market and are subject to change.
³ Available on select apps and services; details of the features may vary by market.
⁴ Available on select exchanges; details of the services may vary by market and are subject to change.
⁵ Available on select types of identifications, institutions and schools; details of the services may vary by market and are subject to change.
⁶ Available on select smart door locks and markets. For a list of global partners, please visit https://www.smartthings.com/products-list.
⁷ Digital Automobile Key services available on select markets and device models; currently functional with select car models, including BMW 1,2,3,4,5,6,8 Series, X5, X5 M, X6, X6 M, X7, Z4, iX3, iX and i4 models manufactured after July 2020; Genesis GV60 models launched after September 2021 and G90 models launched after December 2021; Hyundai Palisade models launched after May 2022. Exact features may vary by car maker and/or model.
⁸ Available on select Korean Air flights; details of the services may vary by market and are subject to change.
⁹ Software updates currently scheduled to launch on June 16, 2022 for France, Italy, Spain, the UK and the US and on June 17, 2022 for Germany. Exact timing and availability of the updates may vary by user and market.
¹⁰ Requires Samsung Pay-enabled Galaxy phones running Android 9 Pie or later. Some elements require an eSE-enabled device. For the full list of compatible devices, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung has been leading the industry by introducing hardware (HW) and software (SW) that break the existing mold every year for the past 12 years since the unveiling of the first Galaxy S device in 2010. Some of the most game-changing so far include a large-screen smartphone with excellent immersion; a smartphone-stylus combination that enhanced productivity and creativity; and the world’s first dual-pixel camera technology. In addition, the Galaxy Note series, Galaxy tablet series and various wearable devices including Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds have contributed to the wider Galaxy ecosystem that has so transformed user’s lifestyles.

Ahead of the Galaxy Unpacked event set for February 10, Samsung Newsroom is providing a look back at the technological legacy of the Galaxy series. Read on to learn more about the 10 innovative Galaxy smartphone technologies that have set new standards and transformed the way we live our lives.

#1. 2010
The AMOLED Display: Bigger Is Better

One of the major benefits of a smartphone is that it allows users to enjoy content on a large screen with clear picture quality that sits right in the palm of their hand. Samsung kicked off the trend of the large screen era in the smartphone industry with the introduction of their AMOLED display. This display, developed using Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) technology, is characterized by its clear picture quality, self-luminescence and larger screen size.

The Samsung Galaxy S was the world’s first smartphone to be launched with a Super AMOLED display, an ultra-thin screen that consumes less power and provides crisper and more vivid picture quality. With the introduction of the Galaxy S in 2010, users’ interest became piqued in obtaining bigger screens — such as the 4- to 5-inch screens of the AMOLED display compared to the conventional 3-inches on other phones — on which to fully immerse themselves in their favorite content.

Samsung has continued to take its AMOLED technology to the next level by unveiling devices with more powerful and more advanced screens, such as the Galaxy S10, the world’s first mobile device with a High Dynamic Range10+ (HDR10+) supported Dynamic AMOLED display, and the Galaxy S21 series, which features a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with an automatic refresh rate of up to 120Hz based on the content type. Samsung’s innovative technology has enabled silky-smooth scrolling and uninterrupted viewing experiences, even on larger screens.

#2. 2011
The Galaxy Note and S Pen: Adding Analog Touch to Digital Devices

As of 2011, it became no longer necessary to keep notebooks and writing instruments in our bags at all times. With the introduction of the Galaxy Note equipped with S Pen, it is now possible to save and share everything from memos to drawings right on our smartphone’s screen. At that time, the Galaxy Note was launched with an S Pen that supported 256 levels of pressure onto the device’s large screen. Since then, both the Note and the S Pen have become inseparable, and as the series has developed, both have evolved significantly.

For example, Samsung introduced Air Command for the Galaxy Note 3 to give users easy access to signature S Pen features when hovering their S Pen over the screen. The company also then incorporated Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology into the Galaxy Note 9 S Pen so that its stylus pen could also function as a remote control. For the Galaxy Note 10, the addition of Air Action features enabled users to remotely control their device when switching camera modes or zooming in or out, a marked change from previous models which only permitted users to take photos from a distance. In line with this innovative spirit, Samsung introduced the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered S Pen for the Galaxy Note 20 in order to provide users with a more delicate and sophisticated drawing experience, and as of last year, the innovative S Pen is now available on devices such as the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold3 to expand its compatibility.

#3. 2013
Samsung Knox: Your Trusted Mobile Bodyguard

We are now living in the era where most of our daily tasks and experiences can be undertaken all with a singular smartphone, meaning that the importance of security cannot be overemphasized. Samsung Knox has become a reliable shield for users concerned about information leakage or virus penetration.

Samsung Knox, installed on Galaxy devices since the Galaxy Note 3 in 2013, protects devices on a step-by-step basis from the chipset to the operating system (OS) and application level, while also blocking hacking and unauthorized access. In addition, thanks to its encrypted container space, a user’s personal and business data can be separated and managed safely.

In 2021, the company launched Samsung Knox Vault with the Galaxy S21 in order to thoroughly ensure the protection of ever-growing amounts of data. In addition to offering the industry’s highest level of security chipset (eSE, or embedded Secure Element) and a secure processor that prevents HW-level attacks, Samsung Knox Vault features a tamper-resistant security memory to protect a user’s various passwords and biometric information.

#4. 2014
Superb IP Rating: Ultimate Protection From Dust and Water

In the early 2010s, if you accidentally dropped your smartphone while using it in water, nothing but despair awaited you. To mitigate this, Samsung expanded the horizon of smartphone experiences by applying waterproof and dustproof functions to the Galaxy S5 for the first time in 2014.

From the Galaxy S7 in 2017 onwards, IP68,¹ the highest waterproof and dustproof rating, has been applied to Galaxy devices in order to strengthen their performance. The IP68 rating is given to devices after testing in fresh water at a depth of 1.5m for 30 minutes. Galaxy users are now able to use their smartphones with peace of mind thanks to strong waterproof and dustproof technologies.

#5. 2015
Samsung Pay: A Mobile Wallet in Your Pocket

It is no exaggeration to say that, after 2015, the trend of going ‘wallet-less’ saw a surge in increase. At this time, Samsung introduced Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service that replaces the cash and credit cards in a user’s wallet. Since this service was first introduced on the Galaxy S6 in 2015, it has established itself as a core representational service of the Galaxy smartphone.

When using public transportation, as well as when out shopping, users need just touch their smartphone instead of having to get out their wallet to pay. These days, leaving the house without a wallet has become a normal habit.

#6. 2016
Advanced Camera Technology: The World’s First Dual Pixel Sensor

Smartphone camera technologies are advancing day by day, to the extent at which if you have a smartphone, you’re able to capture pictures and videos comparable to that of professionals.

In 2016, Samsung raised the smartphone camera function to a new level by installing the industry’s first dual pixel in the Galaxy S7. At that time, the dual pixel was an image sensor only seen in high-end digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. By increasing the amount of light received by both the front and rear cameras, the Galaxy S7 was able to focus quickly and accurately, as well as take optimal photos in dark environments.

Samsung then combined an Ultra-Wide angle lens and intelligent SW in the Galaxy S10 to help users take even sharper pictures. The Galaxy S20 features a remarkable four quad cameras, raising the level of camera functionality once again. In particular, the optical zoom performance has been greatly improved; Galaxy S20 Ultra users can harness the Space Zoom function to zoom in up to 100 times, allowing them to take clear pictures of the night sky.

#7. 2018
One UI: Making My Own Galaxy

One UI is an interface that supports the unique user experience of Samsung Galaxy, and was first introduced in November 2018.

By dividing the viewing area and the touching area, the layout of One UI allows users to comfortably perform all operations with just one hand, and all necessary essential functions are included concisely on-screen so that everyone and anyone is able to use it easily. One UI is also characterized by a unified user experience as it has been applied consistently to devices across the Galaxy ecosystem, including smartphones, tablets and wearables.

One UI 4, updated last year, harnesses a completely different color palette with which to decorate a device’s home screen, icons, notifications and wallpapers in your own style. In addition, One UI 4 features strengthened security features, such as allowing users to easily select what to share and what to keep private in order to keep up with users who increasingly value their individuality and their privacy.

#8. 2019
Galaxy Z Series: The Dawn of the Era of Foldable Smartphones

In 2019, Samsung pioneered the field of foldable smartphones by unveiling the world’s first Galaxy Z Fold, equipped with a 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display.

Samsung’s newly developed hinge technology makes it possible to open and close the smartphone as smoothly as one opens a book, and offers users secure, long-lasting flexibility that passed a test to withstand 200,000 folds. In 2020, the company’s foldable lineup was expanding to include the Galaxy Z Flip, which features a compact design as the screen unfolds vertically.

Samsung not only pioneered a new form factor, but also new usability options through such functions as Flex mode, which allows for more usage scenarios by fixing the hinge at a specific angle, and Multi-Active Window, which can open and run apps at the same time with applications optimized for the foldable screen for a split screen view.

Last year, Samsung expanded their foldable lineup with the Galaxy Z Fold3, which saw the inclusion of an S Pen and waterproof and dustproof technology, and the colorful, pastel-toned Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition, leading the era of foldable popularization.

#9. 2021
An AI-Powered Eraser: Removing Unwanted Objects From Photos

As part of Samsung’s mission to expand the application of innovative AI technologies to all smartphones, the company introduced the Object Eraser feature that lets you remove any unwanted objects in your photos with just a touch.

The Object Eraser function, first introduced in the Galaxy S21 in 2021, is a photo editing tool that harnesses artificial intelligence. Simply by touching the object you want to remove from a photo and tapping the ‘object erase’ button, the object is deleted without the need for a separate editing program. Currently, this function is available on smartphones with One UI 3.1 or higher, such as the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Fold3.

Samsung first applied its AI-powered interface, Bixby, to the Galaxy S8 in 2017, and now users can control their major Galaxy devices using only their voice. In addition, Samsung has been incorporating AI technologies into its device OS, battery and camera in order to improve performance and convenience.

#10. 2021
Galaxy for the Planet: For a Sustainable Future

Samsung is fully committed to minimizing the environmental impact of its products throughout the entire lifecycle of its smartphones, from the design to the production stage through to their usage and disposal, in order to ensure that Galaxy smartphones contribute to greater environmental sustainability. Under the sustainability vision of its Mobile eXperience (MX) Business, “Galaxy for the Planet,” Samsung is consistently working to achieve a circular economy by reusing and recycling resources in order to build a better Galaxy ecosystem.

One such effort towards sustainability is a reduction of plastic usage in smartphone packaging. The percentage of plastics used in the Galaxy S21 packaging accounts for a mere 4 percent of the total weight, cutting down the waste generated per packaging unit by 49 percent as compared with that of the Galaxy S7. In addition, the Galaxy S21 packaging contains only 58 percent of the paper used in that of the Galaxy S7, helping save some 44,802 trees a year. Samsung plans to exclude plastic materials in its product packaging and apply recycled materials to all of its products in the MX division by 2025.

The products set to be unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2022 are drawing attention thanks to the revelation that they have been designed using eco-conscious materials recycled from marine waste. Samsung has succeeded in transforming discarded fishing nets, a major contributor to marine pollution, into a material with which to produce smart devices, and the company plans to apply this material to all its products in the future.

¹ IP (Degree of Ingress Protection, IP Code) is a product-related protection technology standard established by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and is applied to various IT products and industrial devices. IP68 is the highest rating for dust and water resistance. Ip68 has a waterproof function that can withstand 1.5m of clear water for 30 minutes, but it is recommended that the device be washed off immediately after contact with water and then dried.

In order to provide simple ways for Galaxy users to come together to support the Global Goals, Samsung and the UNDP launched an education and donation-based app, Samsung Global Goals. The app provides Galaxy users with the ability to learn more about the Global Goals and take part in small actions to help address the issues that matter most to them.

To provide the best user experience possible, along with more ways to get involved, Samsung is bringing a range of updates to the Samsung Global Goals app this January.

More Ways to Join in and Give Back

The Samsung Global Goals app offers a range of ways for users to support and give back to the Global Goals. By engaging with advertisements in the app, users are able to donate 100% of an ad’s revenue to the Global Goals. Samsung also recently announced that it will match all proceeds generated through the in-app advertisements to help maximize donations and make an impact, meaning that effectively 200% of ad revenue from the app will be donated to the UNDP by Samsung¹.

The app also allows users to donate directly in support of the Global Goals to the UNDP. With the latest app updates, users will be able to use both Samsung Pay and Google Pay² native payment mechanisms when donating. This will allow users to directly donate to the UNDP and the Goal of their choice by simply clicking and then confirming using biometric authentication – making it easier than ever to make a difference and donation to the #Global Goals campaign.

Samsung is also making it easier for users to opt into features that help generate more ad earnings, even when their phone is charging. Users can currently opt into the ‘Charge Screen ads’ feature in the Donate tab of the app, which will show ads on the device’s lock screen when it is plugged in to charge. As part of the update, the app will now prompt new users with a pop-up message providing information on this feature once their device has been plugged in to charge. This feature can be easily toggled off and on anytime in the Donate tab.

Additionally, users will be able to enjoy a wider range of lock screen options in the app’s Global Goals Lockscreen Wallpapers section, which can easily be managed in the app’s Settings page. The new wallpapers now support a wider selection of inspirational quotes, dynamic visuals, and graphic styles, making easier to stay engaged and inspired to contribute.

The update also brings several other UX upgrades to the Samsung Global Goals app. App notification messages have been streamlined for improved usability, each Goals’ Facts and Figures information is now more clearly linked to each Goal and users can more easily see which version of the app they are running. Galaxy users in Korea will also now be able to learn about the K-SDGs, or Korean Sustainable Development Goals, in the Samsung Global Goals app thanks to a collaboration with Korea’s Ministry of Environment.

The Samsung Global Goals app is available for download through the Galaxy Store and Google Play. To learn more about the Samsung Global Goals, visit here.

¹ Samsung has pledged to match donations with ad proceeds generated through the Global Goals app; up to US$5 million annually.

² Donations through Samsung Pay or Google Pay will be available in 5 markets following the current update, including the U.S., Singapore, Australia, the U.K., and Canada. This feature will be available in more regions in the future.

Samsung Electronics, a global leader in technology, announced today that 46 of its new product innovations have been recognized as CES^® 2020 Innovation Awards winners, including three Best of Innovations accolades. This prestigious award honors devices and services that display outstanding design and engineering in cutting-edge technology. The Galaxy Note10+ 5G and two Samsung Visual Display products were the winners of Best of Innovation awards.

The awards highlight Samsung’s heritage of achievements in developing groundbreaking innovations that propel the industry forward. This year, Samsung’s award-winning honorees span a range of categories including Visual Displays, Gaming, Software and Mobile Apps, Embedded Technology, Tech for a Better World, Sustainability, Home AV Components & Accessories, Computer Hardware and Components, Health and Wellness, Fitness, Sports and Biotech, Wearables, Mobile Devices and Accessories, Computer Accessories, Home appliance and Smart Home.

“We are honored and humbled to once again be recognized for the ways that our consumer electronics and digital solutions impact consumers’ lives and push the boundaries of where technology can go,” said YH Eom, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America. “This year marks a new milestone for the number of Samsung honorees at CES, which I believe is a testament to the world-class Samsung team that is behind these innovative new solutions.”

The CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the owner and organizer of CES. Many of Samsung’s industry recognized products will be on display at CES 2020, which takes place January 7-10, 2020, in the Samsung booths (#15006) located in The Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall – Tech East.

Following are details of the selection of Samsung’s award-winning products:

Samsung Galaxy Fold – Galaxy Fold is a foldable device that has created an entirely new mobile category. It features the 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display, which folds into a compact device with a 4.6-inch cover display, giving users the best of a smartphone and a tablet, all in one device. The Galaxy Fold is a first-of-its-kind device featuring new materials and technologies. Users now have a powerful new way to watch videos and multi-task like never before.

Samsung Galaxy Note10+ 5G – A CES 2020 Best of Innovation winner, the Galaxy Note10+ 5G is purposefully-designed to let people harness the power of 5G networks to experience streaming, gaming and productivity like never before. With the reimagined S Pen, a pro-grade camera, and best-in-class specs, the Galaxy Note10+ 5G allows consumers to work the way they want and showcase their creative spirit, all while tapping into the fastest networks available.

Samsung Galaxy Note10 / 10+ – Today’s Note users depend on their devices more than ever, turning to them as they shift from project to project, take on new challenges, and pursue their passions. The Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10+ give people the freedom to work the way they want and showcase their creative spirit, all on-the-go. Packed with the Note’s most immersive display, a reimagined S Pen, a pro-grade camera in their pocket and best-in-class specs, the Galaxy Note10 and Note10+ help users do more of what they love.

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G – Samsung’s first 5G flagship phone, the Galaxy S10 5G offers a supercharged experience in the areas people care about the most: display, camera and performance. And, it’s ready for blazing-fast 5G connectivity. To take full advantage of 5G, the Galaxy S10 5G features a 6.7” Dynamic AMOLED display, the largest-ever in the S series; an advanced camera system, including 3D Depth Sensing lens with Time of Flight technology to shoot video with stunning bokeh effect; and an intelligent 4,500mAh battery to power through hours of gaming and streaming. With the Galaxy S10 5G, download a full season of a TV show in minutes, play graphics-rich cloud games with virtually no lag, enjoy enhanced VR and AR experiences, and more.

Samsung Galaxy A50 – The Samsung Galaxy A50 has everything you want in a smartphone at an accessible price point. Packed with advanced hardware and premium features, the Galaxy A50 is designed for the way people live: it offers a versatile camera with Ultra Wide and Depth lenses, a 6.4-inch immersive Super AMOLED Infinity-U display, and a fast-charging, long-lasting battery.

Galaxy Watch Active2 – Galaxy Watch Active2 is Samsung’s latest smartwatch that combines holistic health and wellness capabilities with customizable fashion features to support your style. With Samsung Health at the core, Galaxy Watch Active2 delivers detailed and actionable information on fitness, sleep, stress and more. Additionally, Galaxy Watch Active2 conveniently integrates with apps and services across the Galaxy ecosystem, perfectly suiting a connected lifestyle.

Samsung Pay – Samsung Pay is already a convenient and rewarding way to pay and shop, and over the past year it’s evolved to help give people more control over their financial life. New features, like Tap&Pay, make it easier to pay for everyday things like subway rides and bus fares, while services like Samsung Pay Cash and Money Transfer powered by Travelex make it easier to manage money and send it to those who are abroad – all on the go.

Samsung 30.72TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD – The 30.72TB PM1733 is the industry’s fastest and largest capacity solid state drive, providing Internet and Big Data infrastructure enablement that is critical to consumers in the rapidly expanding world of data analytics, AI analysis and IoT.

Samsung Global Goals App – Developed by Samsung in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the smartphone app is both an educational tool and a platform to raise money for philanthropic causes that address some of the world’s biggest challenges. Users can learn more about how the Global Goals were created and details about each goal including background information and facts and figures about each specific topic. The Global Goals app also helps raise money for the Global Goals in two main ways by allowing users to donate directly to the Global Goals via the app or UNDP website, or by choosing to engage with ads on the app to donate 100 percent of the ad revenue Samsung would have generated to the Global Goals. By leveraging technology we use every day to help make the world better, the ‘Samsung Global Goals’ app lets users do good and feel good too.

Samsung Electronics today announced that in partnership with Mobeewave, a pioneer in contactless mobile card payment acceptance, the company will deploy NFC-enabled contactless payment acceptance on mobile devices worldwide starting October 15, 2019.

Over the past several months, the two companies have worked together on a pilot in Canada, testing Samsung POS, a secure, mobile-based, Point Of Sale (POS) solution. Samsung POS enables merchants to accept debit and credit payments by tapping contactless cards, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, and Google Pay wallets onto Samsung NFC-enabled devices – without dongles, cables or other additional hardware.

The pilot generated over 10,000 downloads of Samsung POS, driven by transactions micro-merchants and small businesses in a variety of industries looking to grow their revenue by accepting card payments.

Merchants who want to accept mobile payments can easily download the Samsung POS app from the Galaxy Store or Google Play Store and go through a simple sign-up process within the app to register as a merchant.

Samsung also provides simple payment solutions for consumers through the Samsung Pay digital wallet, enabling them to pay with their device in Samsung Pay launched countries. Samsung POS now allows the company to provide a frictionless and cost-effective POS solution to businesses.

“We’re excited to launch this solution with our strategic partner, Mobeewave. Their patented contactless payment processing platform is the only mobile-based solution accepting Mastercard, Visa and Interac transactions in pilot in Canada. Mobeewave has passed numerous certification and security processes, to deliver a highly secure payment acceptance solution to merchants in a variety of verticals. Their proprietary technology allows us to launch this new solution on a global scale,” said Sunny Park, VP and Head of Service Operation Group, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.

“Together with Samsung, we’re creating a brand-new market segment with an opportunity to offer the untapped micro and small business market with an easily accessible, highly secure, low-cost and easy-to-use mobile payment acceptance solution. There are an estimated 25 million micro-merchants and approximately 5.5 million small merchants worldwide^*, many of whom are unable to grow their business due to a lack of easily accessible and affordable payment acceptance services. We aim to drive incremental revenue for these businesses through our secure solution,” added Maxime de Nanclas, co-Founder, Mobeewave.

Samsung and Mobeewave will be deploying their solution first in Canada from October 15, 2019, and plan to expand globally starting in 2020.

^*Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/smefinance

About Mobeewave

Mobeewave is a global pioneer in contactless payment acceptance solutions. Its patented contactless payment processing platform, SDK and apps are the only mobile-based solution accepting Mastercard, Visa and Interac transaction in pilot in Canada. With offices across four continents, and over 70 employees, Mobeewave provides fintech innovation to banks, payment service providers, SaaS businesses, ISVs and marketplaces, as well as transit companies around the world. Find out more at www.mobeewave.com.

Luckily, you don’t need to be an expert to stay safe in our connected world. Check out the quiz below to see if you have the basics covered.

Samsung Electronics reveals the new Galaxy A80 – a smartphone created for the way people are engaging in the Era of Live. People are increasingly using their smartphones to share live interactions – capturing spontaneous photos, streaming live video and connecting over shared experiences that are happening right now. We are moving from the ‘era of the selfie’ to the ‘era of live’, where people are fostering more genuine and meaningful connections. Built to drive this evolution, the Galaxy A80 offers compelling innovations: a captivating, full-screen display, Samsung’s first revolutionary rotating camera and an intelligent battery.

“Consumers are at the center of everything we do and they search for devices personalized to their specific lifestyle. Armed with our expertise, global capabilities and rich consumer insights, Samsung is uniquely positioned to provide innovations for everyone,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “The Galaxy A Series provides a range of models so everyone can choose a device that fits their unique needs and enables them to pursue their passions. The Galaxy A80 offers premium features for digital natives who want to fully engage in the Era of Live.”

Capture the World as You See It

Created with Samsung’s first rotating camera, the Galaxy A80 lets people seamlessly capture the world around them. When users select the selfie mode in the camera app, the three cameras automatically pop-up from the back of the phone and rotate. The innovative camera mechanism delivers the same extraordinary triple camera experience with the same high-resolution lens, front and rear, so you never have to sacrifice on quality.

With the 48MP main camera, users can now shoot vivid images day and night. The Galaxy A80’s 3D Depth camera offers Live Focus videos by scanning objects for measurement and depth. Built with an Ultra Wide angle lens with the same viewing angle as the human eye, so your favorite views can be shared with less panning.

The Super Steady video mode helps you effortlessly capture content by reducing video shake to ensure smooth, pro-level action videos. And with other intelligent camera features such as Scene Optimizer that can recognize and enhance up to 30 scenes, and Flaw Detection that automatically identifies glitches before you click, you’ll never miss the perfect shot.

Enjoy Immersive Multimedia Experiences

Enabled by the rotating camera, people can experience an uninhibited view with Samsung’s first New Infinity Display. Featuring the 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED screen, Galaxy A80 brings you content in vivid detail, letting you get fully immersed in every game, video, photo and story.

Galaxy A80’s Dolby Atmos lets you lose yourself in the sound with a 360-degree audience experience when using earphones or Bluetooth speakers.

Stay Connected for Longer

The Galaxy A80’s 3,700mAh battery and its Super-Fast Charging at 25W capabilities keep you connected for longer and gives you more freedom by allowing you to charge your phone quickly – so you don’t miss a beat.

The Galaxy A80 also features an intelligent battery which learns your daily routine and app usage patterns to optimize your phone’s power consumption. The Adaptive Power Saving Mode enables users to be reassured knowing the smart battery is running most efficiently for the best performance needed.

Access What You Need, When You Need It – Safely and Securely

The Galaxy A80’s Intelligent Performance Enhancer provides AI-powered performance optimization software, which adjusts the battery, CPU and RAM of your device based on your unique usage, helping your phone work harder and launch apps faster when you need them.

Bixby Routines helps keep you on track by learning your app usage patterns and analyzing your habits so that it knows which features you need, when you need them. Bixby Routines automates your everyday tasks and apps based on your routine, such as driving or being at work.

Fortified by Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade security platform designed to protect from chipset to software, people can enjoy the freedom of connection safely on Galaxy A80. This allows people to use Samsung Pass to access apps and websites by using biometric authentication. To increase ease-of-use, a fingerprint scanner was embedded on-screen so people can intuitively unlock their phone.

To complement people’s active lifestyles, Galaxy A80 includes button-activated or hands-free Bixby so that users can get connected to the information needed more conveniently. Users can also easily access other features such as Bixby Vision, Bixby Home, and Reminder while on-the-go. The Galaxy A80 also features key Galaxy experiences including Samsung Health, Samsung Pay^* and more.

Express Your Style with an Elegant Design

The Galaxy A80 is available in three colors: Angel Gold, Ghost White and Phantom Black. The Angel Gold color includes elements of pink, while the Ghost White option combines some blue characteristics, so these colors look different depending on light direction and reflection.

The Galaxy A80’s sleek design and comfortable, ergonomic grip ensures it fits comfortably in your hand – so it’s easy to use when on-the-go.

For more information about the Galaxy A Series, visit news.samsung.com/galaxy, www.samsungmobilepress.com or www.samsung.com/galaxy.

Samsung Galaxy A80 Product Specifications**

^*Availability may vary by market
^**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.
^***Screen measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners.
^****Typical value tested under third-party lab condition. Rated (minimum) capacity is less. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled the Galaxy A70, the newest smartphone in the popular Galaxy A range. Built with Samsung’s latest innovations and upgraded essential features, the Galaxy A70 showcases a stylish design, large infinity display, enhanced triple camera, powerful battery and seamless connectivity. This smartphone is designed for digital natives who want to capture, connect and share life as it happens.

“Today’s consumers are using their phones in a more visually active and authentic way – sharing their experiences and staying connected longer,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “These connections can only thrive when the most essential features allow people to enhance interactions through spontaneous, collaborative, and genuine connection. This requires an evolution. Which is why, to meet the needs of this emerging generation, we created the new Galaxy A70 – designed for the way people are connecting now.”

Stand Out with an Immersive Display and Sleek Design

Featuring a 6.7” Infinity-U display along with the biggest screen in the Galaxy A portfolio to date, the Galaxy A70 provides a more immersive edge-to-edge experience to everyday activities. The Galaxy A70’s sleek and ergonomic design and a 20:9 display ratio delivers an immersive viewing experience whilst providing optimal grip.

Available in four distinctive colors including Coral – this year’s on-trend color, Blue, Black and White, the Galaxy A70 features a stylish prism effect that reveals stunning gradient colors depending on light direction and reflections.

Never Miss a Moment

With the Galaxy A70’s enhanced triple camera comes with a 32MP super high-resolution front and rear lens, take bright sharp shots that never sacrifice on image quality no matter where you are, or what time of day. The Depth lens enables you to adjust the depth of field to focus before and after taking a shot so people can choose what and where they want to highlight. Combined with the 8MP Ultra Wide Lens, enjoy expansive photos that mirror the same viewing angle as the human eye.

Make the most of your snaps with the Galaxy A70’s Scene Optimizer that can recognize and intuitively enhance up to 20 scenes, bringing out the best in what it sees. And with Flaw Detection that automatically identifies glitches before you click, you’ll never miss the perfect shot.

Stay Live for Longer

The Galaxy A70 comes with a powerful 4,500 mAH battery, giving you the freedom and convenience to share, stream and play all day. With Super-Fast Charging at 25W, you can be back in the action faster when you need a battery boost.

Connect Seamlessly and Securely

The Galaxy A70’s new intuitive positioning of the on-screen fingerprint scanner makes it more convenient than ever to control access to your phone for a more seamless user experience without requiring people to reposition their grip. Paired with Samsung Pass, people can sign into websites and apps by using biometric authentication as an easier and more secure way of logging-in. This ease and convenience is enabled by Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade security platform designed to protect from chipset to software. Samsung Knox gives you a piece of mind about your privacy on the Galaxy A70, so you can use your phone freely with ease.

Get the Full Galaxy Experience

Galaxy A70 features Samsung’s One UI platform to encourage productivity and focus. Designed to improve the Samsung’s Galaxy user experience, One UI makes interactions enables convenient and smarter interaction including One Handed Navigation, making interactions easier by bringing the controls within one-handed reach. To make the experience more comfortable, consumers can enable One UI’s Night Mode to switch the display to evening time viewing and get more control over screen time with the Galaxy A70’s App Timer that gives visibility over your screen usage levels. Additionally, the Galaxy A70 includes Samsung Health, Samsung Pay^*, Bixby, and more.

Stay tuned for more information on the Galaxy A that will be revealed at ‘A Galaxy Event’ – taking place across three different continents on April 10^th.

To learn more about the Galaxy A Series, visit www.news.samsung.com/galaxy, www.samsungmobilepress.com, or www.samsung.com/galaxy.

Samsung Galaxy A70 Product Specifications^**

*Features and services differ between regions and models.

**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.

Samsung Electronics designed the Galaxy Watch with a focus on delivering the level of ease and intuitiveness that makes a smart device truly and unequivocally smart. Recently, Samsung Newsroom spoke with members of the new smartwatch’s development team—product planner Myung-hwan Lee and hardware developer Joo-ho Lee—who discussed how they designed some of the Galaxy Watch’s most convenient and intuitive features.

(From left) Hardware developer Joo-ho Lee and product planner Myung-hwan Lee, of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business.

Myung-hwan Lee began by outlining the Galaxy Watch team’s goal of designing “a product that virtually anyone could use without difficulty.” He pointed to the device’s ability to automatically detect and log certain exercises—such as runs, walks and cycling sessions—as an example of its ease of use¹.

The Galaxy Watch utilizes its heart-rate sensor and accelerometer to measure users’ sleep² patterns when they wear the device to bed, and classifies sleep quality in four categories.

The smartwatch incorporates insights it gains from analyzing users’ sleep into the briefings that it automatically sends them every morning and night. The morning briefing displays sleep quality, as well as useful contextual information such as the weather forecast and the user’s schedule. The evening briefing reminds users of any pending events on their schedule, includes a summary of their level of activity for that day, and also displays the next day’s forecast.

Myung-hwan explained how, to help make the briefing function as convenient as possible, the team designed it to notify users at optimal times. This means that once the Galaxy Watch has analyzed the user’s sleep and wake-up patterns, it automatically issues the morning and evening briefings before they typically go to bed, and just after they normally wake up.

The App Shortcuts widget is another particularly useful example of the Galaxy Watch’s ‘smart’ automation. This clever feature automatically analyzes the user’s location and the time of day and presents them with shortcuts to frequently accessed apps that they might need.

To illustrate its convenience, Myung-hwan described how the widget makes it easier for users to streamline their commute. “When it’s time to go to work,” he explained, “the Galaxy Watch will place a public transportation app in the App Shortcuts widget if that’s the app that the user uses most when he or she goes to the office.”

The Galaxy Watch’s App Shortcuts widget takes the time and the user’s location into account and automatically presents them with the apps that they use most often under those conditions.

The Galaxy Watch’s robust set of intuitive features is complemented by a likewise robust design. As hardware developer Joo-ho Lee described, Samsung designed the device to be exceptionally durable, and subjected it to extensive real-world tests to ensure that it would offer users as much utility as possible.

Joo-ho emphasized that durability is a key focus when designing smartwatches, as they’re meant to be worn all day and therefore need to be able to stand up to the elements. “As part of the development process, we conducted tests related to users’ allergies, external shocks, extreme temperatures, and various other elements,” he said. “We’re also proud to report that the Galaxy Watch has been certified to U.S. Department of Defense standards for military (MIL STD 810G) use.”

Of course, as Joo-ho noted, proper evaluation of a device’s durability requires taking it out of the lab and into real environments. “For example,” he explained, “to test the Galaxy Watch’s exercise-tracking function, we actually ran sprints at a park during what ended up being Korea’s hottest summer on record.”

The Galaxy Watch is more than simply an efficient and durable smartwatch. As its name indicates, it also allows users to enjoy seamlessly connected experiences across the huge ecosystem of devices that share the ‘Galaxy’ name. The smartwatch enables users to not only manage IoT devices, but also access convenient services such as Samsung Health, Samsung Pay (NFC only)³, Samsung Flow, Samsung Knox, Bixby and more, simply by lifting their wrist.

As Myung-hwan noted, the development team continues to identify innovative ways to take Galaxy Watch users’ experience to the next level.

“We are continuing our all-out efforts to redefine the user experience for wearable devices,” he explained. “We are constantly cooperating with partners to identify ways to improve the device and make it more useful to users, and we plan to develop a variety of convenience-focused apps in the future.”

¹ The device automatically records six types of movements, including walks, runs and cycling sessions. It’s currently capable of tracking a total of 39 exercises and activities, including Pilates, lunges, squats, swims and hikes.

² Sleep management function should not be used for medical purposes.

³ Service availability may vary by country.

Samsung Electronics today announced the Galaxy A7, the latest addition to the Galaxy A series family. With a powerful rear triple camera, sleek design and must have everyday features, the innovative Galaxy A7 is the ultimate device for wherever life leads you.

“Samsung is committed to delivering meaningful innovation to all consumers across the Galaxy family, no matter who they are or where they are in the world” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics. “That’s why we’re excited to introduce innovative new features to the A series with the Galaxy A7, a practical but powerful device that is built to help make your everyday both convenient and extraordinary.”

Snap and share experiences with the Galaxy A7’s powerful triple camera;

• Never miss a moment with the Galaxy A7’s 8MP 120° Ultra Wide Lens. With the same viewing angle as the human eye, the Galaxy A7 captures the world exactly as you see it for unrestricted wide-angle photos.
• With the 24MP Lens and Depth Lens, the Galaxy A7’s Live Focus feature lets you control the depth of field by allowing you to adjust the bokeh effect to create stunning photos.
• Get crisp clear photos in both bright and low light conditions. The Galaxy A7’s 24MP Lens automatically lets more light in by combining four pixels into one pixel in low light conditions.
• The Galaxy A7 brings out the best in what it sees. Featuring Samsung’s intelligent Scene Optimizer, the Galaxy A7’s camera categorizes your subject and adjusts the color, contrast and brightness to instantly optimize image quality¹.

Snap bright, clear selfies any time of day and never worry about searching for the ideal lighting again, with the Galaxy A7’s 24MP front camera and adjustable LED flash. Take bokeh effect selfies with Selfie Focus, and mimic professional studio lighting with Pro Lighting Mode. Add a personal touch and express yourself with AR emoji, and flattering filters.

Featuring a premium 6.0-inch Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy A7 lets you experience and share the world as you see it. Adding on, Samsung’s signature Infinity Display makes the most of uninterrupted, immersive viewing. The Galaxy A7 also supports Dolby Atmos®² immersive sound technology, which brings entertainment to life through moving audio that flows all around you. When it comes to style, the Galaxy A7 does not compromise. Coming with a premium glass design, a side fingerprint sensor for greater convenience and smooth seamless curves, it’s both practical and comfortable in your hand. Available in four stylish colors to suit your personal style – blue, black, gold and pink³ – expressing yourself with the Galaxy A7 has never been easier.

Designed to make life more convenient, the Galaxy A7 comes with Bixby⁴, Samsung Pay⁵ and Samsung Health.

The Galaxy A7 will be available in select European and Asian markets from this fall and expand to additional markets in the near future.

On October 11, 2018, Samsung Electronics will welcome a new member to the Galaxy family. To celebrate the launch of the upcoming device, the company is hosting a Samsung A Galaxy Event on October 11, 2018 at 5:00pm (MYT).

For more information about Galaxy A7, visit news.samsung.com/galaxy, www.samsungmobilepress.com, or www.samsung.com/galaxy.

Galaxy A7 Product Specifications:

1 19 categories available: Food, Portraits, Flowers, Indoor scenes, Animals, Landscapes, Greenery, Trees, Sky, Mountains, Beaches, Sunrises and sunsets, Watersides, Street scenes, Night scenes, Waterfalls, Snow, Birds, Text

2 Dolby Atmos sound supported on headphones only

3 Available colors may vary by country

4 Bixby voice is not available on the Galaxy A7. Availability of Bixby services may vary by market.

5 The availability of Samsung Pay may vary by country, device, feature, card issuer, and merchant

Samsung Electronics today celebrated the third anniversary of its mobile payment platform, Samsung Pay. Originally launched in South Korea on August 20, 2015, Samsung Pay has experienced significant global growth and is now available in six continents¹ and 24 markets², including the latest market, South Africa. Thanks to the support and partnership of thousands of banks and countless network, merchant and service providers across the globe, Samsung recently passed more than 1.3 billion transactions globally.

“Since we launched Samsung Pay three years ago, we have been dedicated to delivering a mobile wallet platform that is simple, secure and works almost anywhere. We have been expanding its availability and forming strategic partnerships in each market to meet the unique needs of their users,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “And we’re not limiting ourselves to a mobile wallet – by integrating with our other mobile services, consumers will be able to earn Samsung Rewards points, use Bixby for a more seamless payment experience and more.”

The growth of Samsung Pay highlights the company’s localized and open approach to mobile payments. With approximately 2,000 banking and financial partners globally, Samsung Pay offers value-added services based on local market needs, including³:

• Online payments, now available in 15 markets, including Australia, Brazil, Switzerland and Taiwan
• Transit cards in 5 markets, including South Korea, China, and the U.K.
• Loyalty and membership cards in 20 markets, including Canada, France, Mexico and Sweden
• ATM transactions in 5 markets including South Korea, Russia, UAE, U.S. and Vietnam
• Samsung Rewards, offering points to purchase merchant partner vouchers and Samsung products and services, available in 10 markets, including India, Malaysia, Spain and the U.S.
• Pay Planner, helping users spend more wisely by tracking their transaction history and analysing their consumption pattern in South Korea and the UAE
• Bixby integration, allowing users to make purchases at popular merchants with one simple request.

Samsung takes a localized approach for every launch, ensuring that the partnerships, value-added services and capabilities of Samsung Pay are customized for each market to provide the optimum mobile wallet service. Samsung also works with existing payment services so that when the service is introduced in the market, it’s seamlessly integrated into the payment infrastructure. For example, in Hong Kong, Samsung exclusively partnered with the Octopus Card Limited to bring NFC-enabled Octopus payments to the market’s diverse transit and retail establishments, offering customers a fast and simple payment experience. Samsung’s partnership network extends with support from retail and corporate leaders, including Ticket®, one of the largest benefits card providers for organizations in Brazil, and El Corte Inglés department store in Spain. By taking a localized approach to partnerships like these, millions of users benefit from having a centralized and secure payments platform across multiple card types, and exclusive rewards such as product vouchers, instant rebates and extra loyalty points.

Samsung’s model of open collaboration extends into the broader payments industry through partnerships with major financial institutions, including PAYCO (South Korea), Alipay (China), WeChat Pay (China), BHIM UPI (India), Chase Pay (U.S.), PayPal (U.S.), and NAPAS (Vietnam). By partnering with these financial leaders, Samsung Pay provides consumers with a more functional mobile payment platform. Additionally, with PayPal, users can now pay offline, and soon online via Samsung Pay. Other partnerships, such as those with Chase Pay (U.S.) and PAYCO (South Korea) use Samsung’s MST technology, giving customers even greater flexibility in how they make payments.

*All functionality, features and other information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, performance and availability of the service are subject to change without notice.

¹ Samsung Pay is available in six continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

² Samsung Pay is available in 24 markets, including South Korea, U.S., China, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Sweden, UAE, Switzerland, U.K., Vietnam, Mexico, Italy, Canada and South Africa. Preliminary access is also currently available in France.

³ Service functionality and device compatibility may vary by market and conditions.

For the very first time in France, Samsung’s latest products will be showcased across two floors at Samsung Paris, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the Samsung ecosystem and explore how versatility and connectivity are at the core of all Samsung devices. Among the latest releases on display to visitors are the Galaxy S9, A8, Gear Sports and Fit2 Pro.

A day and night view of Samsung Paris, on Avenue des Champs-Elysées

With interior styling featuring references to some of the most iconic Parisian landmarks and a wealth of activities on-site, the Samsung Paris showcase is sure to offer visitors to the Champs-Elysées a lasting and enjoyable experience.

Powerful Pictures

Ever wondered what you’d look like as an Emoji? With the Galaxy S9 and S9+, the most recent additions to the Samsung family, you can now find out with the AR Emoji feature. In the Samsung Experience Zone, visitors can get the full lowdown on all the features and functionalities of the Galaxy S9.

Payment at Your Fingertips

The Café Samsung Pay will offer visitors the chance to relax and enjoy a hot drink – all whilst discovering the Samsung Pay service. They will be able to try out making simulated payments in the café in order to test Samsung’s recently launched payment solution.

Connectivity for Your Convenience

A world first, the Customer Service Zone will allow visitors to get their smartphone repaired in the record time of approximately just one hour. With the option to either continue enjoying the Samsung Paris showcase or take a wander down the Champs-Elysées whilst the repair is being completed, shoppers will be alerted once their devices are ready via a portable vibrating device.

Keeping users connected and redefining the way they communicate is at the heart of the Samsung offering, and the Samsung Smart Home range is the perfect example of how Samsung’s innovative technologies work together for the best user experience possible. Behind the doors of 100 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, several dedicated zones will offer visitors the chance to discover the full functionality of the Smart Home range, as well as to witness first-hand how all of its products work with each other.

Activities for All Ages

A dedicated Kids Zone awaits interested parties of all ages, where children will be able to enjoy the full Samsung experience in their own way. Among other fun activities, Samsung tablets will be on hand for them to draw on.

For those looking for entertainment of a more adventurous kind, the Fitness Zone will offer visitors the chance to – virtually – check out the slopes. The Gear Sport and Gear Fit2 Pro will be on hand to provide the thrilling immersive experience of 4D Alpine Skiing.

Samsung Paris will be open until March 2019 at 100 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, Monday to Saturday 10:00am to 09:00pm and Sunday 11:00am to 09:00pm.

Samsung Electronics today announced the Galaxy A6 and A6+ that combine everyday convenience and stylish design with an advanced camera for  more personalized way to express yourself.

Featuring a powerful front and rear camera, a sleek premium design and Samsung’s signature Infinity Display, the new Galaxy A series is available in four stylish colors; Black, Gold, Blue and Lavender.¹

“At Samsung we are committed to providing our consumers with the very best smartphone experience, while meeting their practical needs,” said Junho Park, Vice President of Global Product Planning, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The Galaxy A6 and A6+ draws on Samsung’s smartphone heritage to combine everyday convenience with an impressive camera that lets users capture, personalize and share moments, in a way that lets them uniquely express themselves.”

With the Galaxy A6 and A6+’s powerful front and rear camera, taking beautiful shots or selfies anytime, anywhere has never been easier. Featuring an adjustable front LED flash, Galaxy A6 and A6+ users can snap stylish selfies, from day to night. And with the rear camera’s low-aperture lenses, users can also capture sharp, clear photos in low light conditions, without sacrificing image quality no matter what time of day.

The Galaxy A6+’s Dual Camera² can even further enhance the pictures and moments that matter with Live Focus mode, meaning that users can control the depth of field and bokeh effect before or even after the shot is taken. Users can enrich their pictures with unique background blur patterns in a range of shapes including hearts, stars and more.

Users can experience a richer surround sound experience to enjoy movies, music and more with speakers supported by Dolby Atmos optimized audio³. The Galaxy A6 and A6+ provide a full range of sound from highs to lows, with outstanding clarity and true-to-life detail for a more powerful and immersive audio experience. Users can choose to turn on the Dolby Atmos effect to transform their audio with breathtaking moving sound that flows around them.

The Galaxy A6 and A6+ continue to set the standard for the ultimate uninterrupted viewing experience with Samsung’s signature Infinity Display that goes beyond the bezel, featuring an impressive 18.5:9 screen ratio⁴. Its sleek smooth curves and metal design have been engineered to offer improved durability and comfortable grip for maximum usability, without compromising on style.

Designed with practicality and everyday convenience in mind, the Galaxy A6 and A6+ integrates several popular features from Samsung’s flagship, including hassle-free security with Face Recognition and Fingerprint scanning for a quick and effortless way to unlock the device.

Both devices make multitasking fast and easy with App Pair, fully utilizing the Galaxy A6 and A6+’s large ergonomic screens by allowing users to pair two apps, halving time and doubling enjoyment. With the Always on Display⁵ users can get information at a glance without unlocking their phone, saving on time and battery life.

The Galaxy A6 and A6+ also support Bixby Vision, Home and Reminder. Samsung’s Bixby can assist users in completing a range of everyday tasks, making the Galaxy A6 and A6+ smarter and more helpful. With Samsung Pay⁶ included, users will always have their wallet to hand. Supporting Near Field Communication (NFC), the Galaxy A6 and A6+ can be used virtually anywhere you can tap your credit or debit card. Every transaction via Samsung Pay is secure, yet very simple

Available from early May starting in select European, Asian and Latin American markets, before rolling out globally to additional markets throughout South Korea, Africa and China.

Samsung Galaxy A6 and A6+ Product Specifications

¹ Color availability may vary depending on region and/or carrier services

² Feature only available on the Galaxy A6+

³ Dolby Atmos audio supported on headphones only

⁴ Screen measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners on A6+

⁵ Feature available exclusively on the Galaxy A6+

⁶ Availability of Samsung Pay service may vary across participating payment networks, banks, retailers and merchants. Samsung pay is only compatible with selected cards and Samsung devices and some payment terminals may require software updates. Galaxy A6 and A6+ are only compatible with NFC.

⁷ Specification of RAM/ROM may vary by country

Samsung Electronics announced today that Samsung Pay is now available in Italy, marking its ongoing commitment to bringing payment innovation to users around the globe. With the addition of Italy, Samsung Pay now enables users in 21 markets to benefit from simple and secure payments almost anywhere¹.

Samsung’s commitment to transforming the mobile industry was recognized at the annual Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO Awards) during Mobile World Congress 2018, which awarded Samsung Pay ‘Best Mobile Innovation for Payment’. The service was praised not only for being innovative, but also for bringing consumers the world’s first integrated rewards program²; each time users purchase with Samsung Pay, they can earn points to be exchanged for a variety of prizes.

“We strive to deliver the best experiences to our customers. The rapid growth of Samsung Pay has been made possible by Samsung’s commitment to an open model of collaboration around the world, resulting in over 1,700 partnerships, including payment providers Visa and Mastercard®,” said Yongje Kim, Executive Vice President of Service Business Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Its continued support for both MST and NFC payments has also enhanced adoption, enabling market access in countries that support either payment option.”

Samsung Pay is a simple and secure mobile payment service that is available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your eligible payment card³. By combining Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and its proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment solution on the market.

Samsung Pay operates with three levels of security: fingerprint or iris⁴ authentication, card tokenization and Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform, Samsung Knox. Additionally, Samsung Pay makes mobile payments easy – to launch, a user needs to swipe up on an eligible Samsung Galaxy smartphone, select the card, authenticate using a fingerprint, iris scanning or PIN and bring the phone near the point-of-sale terminal.

Starting today, Samsung Pay is available to users in Italy with compatible Samsung devices, including wearables like the Samsung Gear S3 and Gear Sport, and the new Galaxy S9 and S9+⁵. Samsung Pay works at almost all existing payment locations in Italy that accept credit or debit cards. It also expands the digital wallet experience by allowing customers to use membership cards and providing promotional coupons.

Aligned with Samsung’s approach of building tailored products and services customized to meet the needs of users in each market, several value-added features will be available exclusively to consumers in Italy. These include discounts up to 20% on popular brands, including Daybreak Hotel, EF Education, Leroy Merlin and Moleskine.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC (Near Field Communication) with Samsung’s proprietary MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience. Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards and Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Please visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more.

¹ 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 to become fully compatible with Samsung Pay.

² Samsung Pay reward program is available in the U.S., Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brazil and Spain.

³Applicable card type varies depending upon issuer.

⁴ Iris authentication is available for Galaxy S9 and S9+, Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+

⁵ Other compatible devices include the Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+, Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Galaxy A8, Galaxy A5(2017), Galaxy A5(2016), and the Gear S3 and Gear Sport in Italy.

Samsung Electronics is pleased to announce that it received over 30 awards at Mobile World Congress 2018, including “Best New Connected Device” at the annual Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO Awards) for the Galaxy S9+. The Galaxy S9+ was selected for its refined design, advanced camera and outstanding performance. The Galaxy S9+ reimagines the way people communicate, share and experience the world.

“Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees of the 2018 GLOMO Awards,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “The GLOMOs recognize the best of the best in mobile, highlighting the technologies, products, companies and individuals that are pushing the boundaries of ingenuity and innovation and creating a better future for all of us. We thank all of our entrants, judges, sponsors and partners for supporting the 2018 GLOMOs.”

The Galaxy S9+ also received recognition from TechRadar, Android Authority, Alphr and PC Mag, and the Galaxy S9 was awarded by organizations such as PhoneArena, Android Central, Expert Reviews, Android Police, T3 and Ubergizmo.

Several of Samsung’s innovative technologies and devices were also recognized, including:

• Samsung Pay was awarded “Best Mobile Innovation for Payment” at the GLOMO Awards for its industry-leading mobile payment service that is simple, safe and available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

• Gear VR with Controller was recognized as “Best Mobile VR or AR” at the GLOMO Awards for setting and exceeding the standard for VR experiences.

• Samsung DeX was awarded “Best of MWC 2018” by ITPro, and best accessory by Tom’s Guide and Digital Trends for its ability to empower a mobile lifestyle by bringing an easy-to-use, full-screen experience to the mobile handset.

“We are honored to be recognized by the GSMA and many organizations for our mobile technologies,” said Younghee Lee, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Global Marketing, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The way people use their devices and what they want from technology is changing. At Samsung, we remain committed to listening to our customers and pushing ourselves to deliver not just the best products and services, but ways to make their experiences better.”

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.

The Power to Do More

Providing up to 6GB of RAM memory plus up to 256GB of expandable memory via microSD card,* the Galaxy Note8 provides large-scale capacity for running and storing essential data such as documents, movies and music. These features along with the phone’s 10nm application processor (AP) give users the power they need to browse, stream, play games and multitask.

The Galaxy Note8 is also gigabit LTE and gigabit Wi-Fi ready, meaning that it is built to give users superior connection speed by tapping into network speeds that can go as high as 1 gigabit per second.

Protection Against the Elements

Because the entire device including its S Pen is IP68 water and dust resistant,** the Galaxy Note8 lets users take photos, check email and jot down their thoughts without interruption – even when the screen is wet.

To create a water resistant device, Samsung engineers had to ensure the protection of every component.

In particular, the S Pen required the integration of multiple technologies including printed circuit board (PCB) molding and rubber sealing. The molding covers the surface of the PCB and consists of a special epoxy material. Rubber sealing, meanwhile, prevents water damage by sealing off all vulnerable passageways and by covering important components without affecting their functionality.

The S Pen’s pen tip, for example, reaches to the internal components of the pen and makes tiny movements that trigger the pen pressure switch. In addition to preventing water from flowing in, the sealing process also ensures that there is enough room for the pen tip to move as needed.

Unlock at Once

Equipped with the latest version of the industry-leading security platform Samsung Knox, the Galaxy Note8 provides strengthened security features and enhanced convenience through a combination of biometrics. Leveraging Samsung’s innovative iris and fingerprint scanning, the Galaxy Note8 offers various services to provide an additional layer of security while facial recognition capabilities enhance convenience.

Users can opt to access Secure Folder, an encrypted folder that lets users manage private apps and files securely via PIN, pattern, passcode or biometric authentication to keep private and personal data sandboxed separately on their smartphone. Similarly, Samsung Pass enables people to quickly and easily log into mobile banking apps and websites on the Samsung Internet Browser using biometric authentication rather than having to repeatedly input usernames and passwords.

Galaxy Note8 users can also make use of iris and fingerprint scanning to access Samsung Pay, enabling a secure, yet more convenient way to pay.

Charged Up and Ready to Go

The Galaxy Note8 features a 3,300 mAh battery and charges quickly using a USB-C port. The phone also supports the most advanced wireless charging capabilities yet, so users can get a quick, convenient charge without having to mess around with ports or wires, and have more time to get things done.

Furthermore, the Galaxy Note8 has passed the 8-Point Battery Safety Check, the most rigorous in the industry.  It is also approved by UL, a leading independent safety science company.

* MicroSD card sold separately.

** Water resistance rating is based on test conditions of submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

Understanding the importance mobile phones and devices hold work, home and on-the-go, Samsung Knox is the security platform for how people really live. From the very moment the device is turned on, Knox continually serves to protect its integrity as well as the personal and professional information stored on it. Inherent to the device itself; Knox protects us day and night.

Comprised of the Samsung Knox platform, products and solutions, Knox’s built-in security is two-fold. The platform begins in the device chipset itself and extends through every single layer of a Samsung device, including the operating system and application layers. The platform ensures Samsung devices have overlapping defense and security mechanisms that protect against intrusion, malware, viruses and many more malicious threats.

Complete Protection in any Environment

Today’s mobile lifestyle allows us to function in ways that best suits our needs. Modern mobile professionals crave a device that operates across their professional and personal lives and they demand high-level security that protects them no matter what. With work and play blending together more often, important apps, information and messages for both personal and corporate life are mixed together on a single phone. This increases the opportunity for unwanted outsiders to access sensitive data such as email, contacts, photos, account information and more.

Samsung Knox makes a modern mobile lifestyle possible by allowing the separation of professional information from personal on the same device through Secure Folder. Secure Folder uses Knox container technology to provide a secure space separate from other apps, messages and information creating an additional layer of security.

Potential Mobile Threats are Constantly Looming

Life moves fast. Every minute of every day, potential threats loom, and for many users, mobile security might not always be top of mind, leaving data and personal information open and susceptible to risk.

The adoption of mobile lifestyles has increased the use of public Wi-Fi. A 2016 study from the Pew Research Center found that 54 percent of American internet users log on through public Wi-Fi networks, primarily to use email and social media. A common misconception facing mobile users is the assumption that public Wi-Fi is safe, especially at trusted establishments like popular coffee shops, hotels and airports. While convenient, connecting to public portals can make mobile devices susceptible to security breaches, and expose personal and business information to risk.

Samsung Knox’s security platform builds a digital fortress around your mobile device, shielding sensitive information from unwarranted visitors and malware attacks so that you can get your much-needed coffee and headlines uninterrupted.

Samsung Knox Protects Your Personal Digital Payments

Digital payments have become standard in today’s mobile world. Without the right security, making transactions on-the-go can put your most sensitive financial information at risk. When using mobile payment services such as Samsung Pay, Samsung Knox brings additional defenses against would be attackers directly to your phone. Through constant monitoring, Knox ensures your card information is encrypted in a separate and secure data vault at all times.

The easiest way for unauthorized access to data is through passwords, meaning simple internet browsing can put your data at risk with poor password practices. The same study from Pew Research Center found that most Americans use and re-use simple passwords that are easy to memorize but are therefore easier to hack. Password management programs like Samsung Pass provide a simple and secure ‘identity management as-a-service’, which enables secure internet access through biometric authentication. Samsung Knox is there to ensure that your biometric data is encrypted and kept intact, allowing users to use their biometric information to browse the web with confidence. *

Samsung Knox at Work

Samsung Knox works just as well for business use. From banking, sales, education and healthcare, to taxi services, advanced computing, airline and automotive industries – all types of businesses are taking advantage of Samsung Knox to deliver better solutions and customer service while keeping the integrity of their – and their customers’ –  data intact.

As businesses continue to adopt mobile technology to simplify operations and increase efficiency, security has become more important than ever. The Samsung Knox platform provides multi-layered protection that isolates and encrypts corporate data through on-device encryption, and constantly monitors device integrity.

Samsung Knox goes beyond protecting critical corporate information. With Knox Configure, organizations can completely customize and tailor a mobile experience that suits the environment for which devices are destined. It provides IT managers with configuration, application deployment and UI/UX customization capabilities as well as remote bulk device enrollment and provisioning services, putting them in complete control of their mobile solution from start to finish.

Samsung Knox was Designed for Life

Today’s world moves at a fast pace and requires us to keep up. Sometimes we get caught in the moment and security becomes an afterthought – that’s why we created Samsung Knox. For those inevitable moments of vulnerability and insecurity that life brings our way, Knox is working so you can focus on the issues that matter most.

* Available functions, features, and compatible applications for Samsung Pass may vary from country to country.

With these market expansions, Samsung Pay continues to both bring mobile payments to new regions of the world and expand to new markets in regions where the service is already available. Launches in the UAE and Sweden showcase Samsung Pay’s first markets in the Middle East and the Nordics respectively, while Hong Kong and Switzerland demonstrate continued commitment and strength in Asia and Europe.

“Less than two years ago, Samsung Pay came to life in Korea with a simple mission: To empower customers with mobile payments that are simple, secure and available almost anywhere,” said Thomas Ko, VP and Global General Manager of Samsung Pay. “Today, Samsung Pay is so much more. Our launches in different parts of the world demonstrate governments’ and consumers’ changing attitudes towards progressing to a cashless society. It is through the interest and support of our partners that we are able to answer their needs by offering Samsung Pay in these markets. We are incredibly proud of our rapid expansion and growth in such a short period of time, and look forward to bringing the most comprehensive digital wallet to all our users around the world.”

Samsung Pay on the Galaxy S8, S8+ and Gear S3

With the availability of the Galaxy S8 and S8+, users will be able to exclusively take advantage of several new features for an enhanced experience with Samsung Pay.

In addition to the existing authentication methods, Galaxy S8/S8+ users can make use of iris scanning as a new form of biometric authentication to access Samsung Pay, enabling a secure, yet more convenient way to pay.

To continue the evolution to a digital wallet, Samsung Pay continues to expand its availability beyond smartphones by introducing Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 in three additional markets. Beginning in April, Samsung Pay is newly supported on the Gear S3 in Russia, Sweden and the UAE, in addition to the US, Singapore and Australia, enabling an even more convenient way for users to pay with their smartwatches. Details on additional Gear S3 support elsewhere will be available soon.

Attaining the Vision of a Digital Wallet

Since the initial launch of Samsung Pay, Samsung has remained committed to the vision of building more than just a mobile payment solution through the introduction of value-added services tailored to local audience preferences.

Samsung Pay continues to enhance and add even more value-added services worldwide, bringing custom solutions and partnerships to users wherever they are.

With the latest launches, Samsung Pay now also integrates loyalty and membership cards in Sweden and the UAE, which can be added to users’ mobile wallets without requiring physical cards. In Switzerland, pre-paid cards will also be supported, allowing users to pay from their preferred cards outside of the normal credit and debit options.

Value-added services continue to be a critical differentiator for Samsung Pay in the mobile payments market. More custom services for users around the world will be made available in respective markets shortly.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC (Near Field Communication) with Samsung’s proprietary MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience. Samsung Pay is now available in 14 markets, including South Korea, the United States, China, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Sweden and the UAE.

“On behalf of Samsung Electronics, I thank everyone who voted for Samsung Pay. From the very first day, we in Samsung believed in future success of the Samsung Pay on the Russian market. Our partners and their professionalism and support played an important role in launching the project in the shortest possible time, – said Seif El Hakim, Head of Mobile Marketing in Russia. – We won’t stop at this and plan to expand the Samsung Pay network to connect every bank in Russia to Samsung’s service”.

The “Financial sphere” award in the “Payment service” category recognizes banks and companies without a banking license, that have announced and released a financial product that achieved significant results in the market within a year or more. Recipients of the award are determined by the expert council. The members of the council evaluate each of the nominees on a five-point scale, where 1 is the lowest score and 5 is the highest one. The applicant who receives the highest score becomes the winner.

‘Banking Review’ experts highly appreciated the achievements of Samsung Pay in the Russian market. Safe and convenient, the payment service was introduced in the country on September 29^th 2016. Today Samsung Pay is accepted for payment almost everywhere, where it is possible to proceed a payment via a bank card that uses a contactless technology or a magnetic strip. The service is available for holders of cards issued by the following banks and financial organizations: Alfa-Bank, BINBANK, VTB24, MTS and MTS Bank, Bank Otkrytie, Raiffeisenbank, Roketbank, Russian Standard Bank, Sberbank, Tinkoff Bank, Tochka and Yandex.Money. Samsung Pay operates in Russia with Mastercard cards issued by all listed banks, as well as with Visa cards of Alfa-Bank, VTB24, MTS Bank, Raiffeisenbank and Tinkoff. Another competitive advantage of the service as it was recognized by the ‘Banking Review’ is its three-stage security system.

The “Financial sphere” award for financial innovations was established by leading Russian banking media ‘Banking Review’ (“Bankovskoe obozrenie”) in 2012. Until 2016 it was mostly given to banks and was called “Banking Sphere”. Today, the award recognizes banking and financial products, solutions and methods of their implementation in order to find bright innovative and progressive approaches to a standard set of financial instruments and to attract the attention of the professional community.

Samsung is committed to making the online payment experience simpler, faster and more secure. Samsung Pay’s simple, secure checkout experience using fingerprint authentication gives users a more streamlined online shopping experience, eliminating the lengthy process of adding their payment card data, billing or shipping details each time they shop. Users with fingerprint authentication-enabled Samsung devices will be able to click the Visa Checkout/Samsung Pay co-branded button and touch the fingerprint sensor and the payment will proceed instantly, without needing to enter a user name and password for each purchase.

Samsung is committed to helping merchants improve their checkout conversion rates. Today, there is still more friction than necessary in the online checkout process. Working with Visa, Samsung Pay will change the game for online merchants by giving eCommerce the same streamlined checkout experience it brought to mobile devices.

“We are very excited to be working with Visa to offer simple, fast and secure checkout experiences to millions of Samsung Pay users on their mobile devices or desktop,” said Injong Rhee, CTO of the Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.” Our partnership benefits not only Samsung Pay users but also hundreds of thousands of online merchants who are looking for effective ways to increase their checkout conversion rates.”

“The days of filling out long forms or remembering usernames to make online purchases are continuing to wind down, as options like Visa Checkout’s open platform become accessible on hundreds of thousands of merchant sites and companies like Samsung see the value in simplifying the process for both consumers and merchants,” said Jim McCarthy, executive vice president, innovation and strategic partnerships, Visa Inc. “We are excited to extend the benefits of Samsung Pay from the mobile world to now also include online merchants, ensuring customers can pay everywhere Visa Checkout is accepted, on any device and in app.”

About Visa
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead with prepaid or pay later with credit products. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/about-visa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.

Apart from allowing users in India to simply tap and pay on the go using their registered cards, Samsung Pay has integrated Paytm as well as the government’s Unified Payments Interface into the app. Samsung has also created a unique digital payment ecosystem by partnering with a number of issuers and card networks. Our Card Network and Issuer partners include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI Cards and Standard Chartered Bank. Citibank India is a forthcoming issuer and its credit cards will be live on Samsung Pay shortly.

Samsung Pay is a highly secure platform as it works with three levels of security—fingerprint authentication, card tokenization and Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform Samsung KNOX.

To launch Samsung Pay, a user needs to swipe up on an eligible Samsung Galaxy smartphone, select the card, authenticate using a fingerprint or PIN and bring the phone near the Point of Sale terminal.

Samsung Pay works with Samsung’s patented Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology as well as with Near Field Communication (NFC). MST replicates a card swipe by wirelessly transmitting magnetic waves from the supported Samsung device to a standard card reader. Through MST, Samsung pay will work seamlessly on a majority of Point of Sale terminals in India.

Mr. HC Hong, President and CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia, said, “Samsung Pay is an example of how we continue to push the boundaries of innovations to make life simpler and better for consumers. I am confident Samsung Pay will redefine digital payments and contribute to Digital India.”

“When we launched Samsung Pay, our goal was to enable consumers across the globe to make payments that are simple, secure and accepted almost everywhere. Over the past year and a half, this vision has evolved into building a complete digital wallet solution, allowing customers worldwide to not only make payments but also use membership and transit cards, receive deals and rewards and more,” said Mr. Thomas Ko, Global GM of Samsung Pay.

With its ‘Make for India’ initiative, Samsung is committed to building tailored products and services, customized to meet the needs of Indian consumers. Samsung Pay provides a mobile payment option built natively on the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), a payment system launched by the National Payments Corporation of India. The Samsung Pay UPI solution is powered by Axis Bank and facilitates peer-to-peer (P2P) transfer of funds between bank accounts on a mobile platform instantly. This is an upcoming feature within Samsung Pay.

Samsung Pay also allows Indian consumers to integrate their Paytm accounts into Samsung Pay, enabling them to pay by scanning QR codes securely, generating one-time codes for merchant payments and also do peer to peer money transfers.

Samsung Pay will also be available on the Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch shortly, allowing users to pay through their wearable device.

“Our insights show that convenience, security and acceptance are seen by consumers as the most important influencers when choosing among different digital payment options,” said Mr. Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India. “With Samsung Pay, we give our consumers the smartest way to make digital transactions by far. Samsung Pay is highly secure through the signature KNOX Platform, fingerprint authentication and tokenization. We have partnered with major banks and card networks to give our consumers the widest range of choices, and are working on bringing more and more partners on board soon.”

Samsung Pay is currently available on Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017).

Since its launch in July 2015, Samsung Pay has rapidly expanded its service by supporting additional value-added features in multiple markets worldwide. With its launch in India, Samsung Pay is fully available in 12 global markets, including South Korea, the US, China, Spain, Singapore, Australia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Russia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Growth of Samsung Pay

This rapid expansion has been made possible by Samsung’s commitment to an open model of partnership and collaboration around the world, resulting in collaboration with about 500 global bank partners as of November 2016. Its continued support for both MST and NFC technologies has also enhanced adoption, enabling market access in countries that support either payment option. In India in particular, most retail shops already have regular POS machines with magnetic card readers, which are compatible with MST technology, making Samsung Pay particularly well-suited to the India market.

Consumers in global markets have increasingly embraced Samsung Pay. In Korea alone, over 2 trillion won (USD 1.76 billion) was processed by Samsung Pay in its first year, 25% of which came from online payments.

Beyond Mobile Payments

As Samsung Pay moves forward, it will continue to demonstrate to consumers that it is more than just a mobile payment service. Samsung Pay has rapidly expanded both the variety and availability of value-added services in multiple markets worldwide, adding support for various non-banking cards including gift card, membership, transportation and ATM to consumers. Consumers have been particularly enthusiastic in their response to these services, registering nearly 11 million related cards since their introduction.

Samsung Pay further supports a growing number of services relevant to each local market such as identity cards and barcode payment, with many more value-added services yet to come.

To know more about Samsung pay please visit: www.samsung.com/in/samsung-pay

“Samsung Pay is a robust mobile payment platform that not only supports the shift towards digital wallets today, but provides a conducive and future-proof avenue for secure e-payments in Malaysia,” said Mr. Lee Jui Siang, Vice President of the Mobile and IT Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics. “As Samsung has done with other markets, we have taken a customized approach to our launch in Malaysia, collaborating with key partners to turn swift and secure mobile payments into reality for our users. We are proud to call leading financial institutions and merchants our partners and to introduce Samsung Pay as the most widely accepted mobile payment service in Malaysia. We are working tirelessly to ensure that Samsung Pay is here to stay and this includes our future plans to boost the service through loyalty programmes.”

“We are pleased to bring Samsung Pay to Malaysia – a country which is embarking on an ambitious and exciting path towards a cashless society. Even as we launch this service, however, we must be mindful of how consumer expectations and needs are changing. More and more, consumers are not just looking for a payment service, but an upgrade to their wallets to create a truly digital experience for everyday transactions and activities,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global GM of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “We envision that Samsung Pay will continue to push the boundaries of what is capable with a phone, and create a truly mobile wallet. We look forward to developing and evolving Samsung Pay and bringing the benefits of this change to our users.”

Vijay Manoharan, CIMB Group Senior Managing Director of Digital Banking and Decision Management, Consumer Banking shared: “CIMB is delighted to work with Samsung Pay to further promote cashless payments and provide our customers with more digital platforms to make secure digital payments. Partnering with leaders in innovation and technology like Samsung further reaffirms CIMB’s support to encourage the use of digital payments, as well as CIMB’s commitment to our customers to make payments, faster and more convenient for them.”

“The Samsung partnership opens yet another digital banking channel that will enhance customer experience and engagement with Citi. Over 40 percent of Citi customers in Malaysia have shown a preference for digital banking. Our global network strengths combined with innovation and technology have enabled us to accelerate the implementation of digital initiatives within the country and see a steady growth across our retail and cards businesses,” said Federico Grigera, Head of Cards and Consumer Lending at Citibank Berhad. “Digitization has and will continue to transform the financial services landscape. Our plan at Citi in Malaysia is to continue to grow the stronghold we have in the digital space and to ensure that customer interactions and experience are truly remarkable. Our new digital banking environment is a commitment to ensure customers have a faster, more personal and revolutionary way of banking.

Maybank Group Chief Strategy Officer Michael Foong said, “We are proud to be the first bank in Malaysia to partner with Samsung for this digital initiative that will bring even greater payment convenience to our cardholders. Having been at the forefront in digitizing banking services in Malaysia over the years, Maybank will continue to cater to changing customers’ needs through innovative solutions that are simple, convenient and safe, in line with our objective of becoming a digital bank of choice in the region.”

“Standard Chartered is pleased to introduce one of many initiatives designed to make banking easy and convenient for our clients – Samsung Pay,” said Aaron Loo, Head of Retail Banking, Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia. “We are rewarding clients, who are early adopters, up to 20 percent cashback for transactions done through Samsung Pay until 30 April 2017. New clients who sign-up for the Standard Chartered credit card will enjoy an additional RM 150 cashback.”

“In Malaysia, we are seeing an encouraging uptake of mobile payments among consumers with a growth rate of more than 40 percent over the past three years. The collaboration is therefore timely as we strive to deliver newer innovations to cater to the rapidly evolving mobile payments space. In this effort, we also look to accelerate the adoption of contactless in-store payments by providing more ways to pay simply, safely and smartly. Together with Samsung, we are excited to support and enhance the acceptance of mobile devices for commercial purposes as we move towards the further advancement of Malaysia’s payments industry,” said Perry Ong, Country Manager, Malaysia and Brunei, Mastercard.

“The launch of Samsung Pay in Malaysia will bring the growth of contactless payments in the country to the next level. Samsung Pay uses Visa Token Service which replaces cardholder information with a unique digital identifier without exposing sensitive account information,” said KB Ng, Visa Country Manager for Malaysia. “Consumers today are already embracing contactless payments, with over two million Visa payWave transactions conducted monthly and double digit month-on-month growth as of January 2017. A recent study that Visa conducted also showed that seven in ten Malaysians are ready to adopt mobile payments and we are confident this growth will continue to accelerate as we move in tandem with the nation’s aim of becoming a cashless society.”

As part of its efforts to provide a seamless experience for Samsung Pay users, Samsung has been actively engaging merchants, providing training to their cashiers and point of sale acceptance signs. To date, over 90 percent2 of merchants ranging from food and beverage outlets, fashion and lifestyle retailers, and supermarkets and department stores in Malaysia have adopted the system and are equipped to offer users the ultimate convenience in mobile payment. More merchants are expected to come on board soon. Along with participating banks and merchants, Samsung Pay’s existing support of loyalty card programmes such as B Infinite, Bonuslink and Sunway Pals in Malaysia will be joined by more loyalty brands in the coming months.

Samsung Pay’s launch in Malaysia continues a broader push towards introducing mobile payments in Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region, following recent launches in Australia, Singapore and Thailand. Samsung strives to ensure its services are tailored to local market needs and preferences. To that end, Samsung Pay has consistently introduced localized value-added services, such as compatibility with loyalty cards in Malaysia, public transport in Singapore, prepaid cards in Thailand, membership service in Australia and more. Samsung is continually exploring new features and is looking forward to bringing these to consumers in Malaysia and elsewhere.

In Malaysia, Samsung Pay is currently available for Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, Galaxy A5 (2017 and 2016) and A7 (2017 and 2016).

¹ Applicable card type varies depending upon issuer. Specific card types for each bank is stated in table below.

² PoS acceptance rate of Samsung Pay amongst local merchants, calculated based on prioritised top frequented merchants and brand names at the time of its Malaysian launch.

³ Subject to respective banks’ product availability.

In line with the Thai government’s national e-payment strategy, Samsung Pay staged its official launch today in the presence of its partners from both government and private sectors. Leading financial institutes and merchants were also in attendance to demonstrate that Samsung Pay is simple, secure and almost anywhere.

Since its early access release in the Thai market in October 2016, consumers in Thailand have warmly welcomed Samsung Pay. Samsung is excited to announce its official country-wide expansion, bringing Samsung Pay to many more Thai consumers.

“More than three months ago, we introduced Samsung Pay early access to the Thai market, giving people a mobile payment solution that is simple, secure and almost anywhere,” said Wichai Pornpratang, Vice President of IT and Mobile Communications at Thai Samsung Electronics. “During this pivotal phase, Samsung Pay has aligned with many notable partners. From the financial sector are MasterCard, Visa, KCC, Bangkok Bank, Citibank, KasikornBank, KTC and Siam Commercial Bank. Department stores and shops across Thailand have also supported Samsung Pay.Aside from compatible credit cards, the Galaxy Gift Prepaid Card by MasterCard, as well as a wide variety of distinguished membership cards, can be added to Samsung Pay for convenience upon checkout. As a result, Samsung Pay services have won a warm welcome from consumers. Thais have recognized it as a convenient and safe mode of payment. With Samsung Pay, they don’t need to carry cash or credit cards, minimizing their risk of theft. Moreover, we hope that Samsung Pay will play a big role in transforming Thailand in line with its national e-payment strategy. Our innovation will revolutionize Thais’ way of spending and usher them towards a cashless society.”

“We are very excited to be introducing Samsung Pay to the Thai market, as we strive to continue to deliver a robust payment platform and digital wallet to consumers around the world,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President of Samsung Pay. “As we did in other markets, we have taken a customized approach with our launch in Thailand, working with key partners to make quick and secure mobile payments a reality. We look forward to making our Thai consumers’ everyday lives as simple, convenient and seamless as possible through the introduction of Samsung Pay.”

Samsung Pay, an innovative mobile payment service, boasts three strengths:

1. Simple – Following registration, users can easily choose a payment card from their smartphone, use their fingerprint to validate their identity and tap their device on a payment terminal. Making a payment is as easy as that.

2. Secure – Tokenization is in place to protect users’ credit-card data, with digital identifiers or “tokens” generated to replace sensitive payment information for every Samsung Pay transaction. Additional security is provided through fingerprint authentication and Samsung Knox, which protects the device at both the hardware and software levels.

3. Almost Anywhere – Because Samsung Pay is compatible with MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology – the most widely-used credit card payment technology in Thailand – as well as NFC (Near Field Communication), any place of business that accepts credit card payments can also accept Samsung Pay. Users can add up to 10 payment cards to their Samsung Pay account. They can continue to enjoy the privileges and benefits their cards offer, without having to carry them around.

Including Thailand, ten markets around the world can now benefit from the simplicity, security and convenience of Samsung Pay. The service has successfully continued its expansion into Asia, with additional launches in Korea, China and Singapore, as well as Australia. With broader availability throughout the region, Samsung aims to continue delivering a robust payment platform and digital wallet to consumers around the world.

* Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more.

** Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

While wearable payments are just beginning to gain recognition among the masses, many industry experts believe that wearables will match smartphones as a strong payment modality within the next few years, thanks to their convenience in on-the-go situations.

Samsung has been at the forefront of this trend and has now made making mobile payments by wearable even more convenient through its inclusion, in select countries, of Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 smartwatch. Thanks to the Gear S3’s Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) support, consumers may now utilize Samsung Pay, the company’s simple and secure service that can be used virtually anywhere, to make purchases without a smartphone.

Tapping Into Solutions

While making a Samsung Pay transaction is fast and easy, developing the technology to make it work was not.

To incorporate MST technology on a wearable for the first time, developers had to find a way to embed both MST and NFC antennas in the Gear S3’s small body, which proved to be a challenge on early prototypes. Furthermore, developers also had to ensure that the smartwatch’s battery was powerful enough to drive the service. After much trial and error, they finally found the optimal design.

In regards to usability, the hardware team wanted to ensure that Samsung Pay could be used intuitively on the Gear S3. But the sheer number of existing POS styles, combined with fact that each user has a different way of positioning the smartwatch on the terminal, made arranging the internal hardware components a big challenge.

After spending countless hours collecting data at various shops, the team was eventually able to create a design that enabled the Gear S3 to connect to the terminal regardless of the angle in which the user positions the smartwatch. Nevertheless, some sales clerks are still surprised to see the technology in use.

“I was recently purchasing a soft drink at LAX,” Shankar Narayan, Senior Manager, Samsung Electronics’ Payment Biz Group, begins his story. “After the cashier told me the price, I activated Samsung Pay on my Gear S3 and tapped it on the credit card terminal.”

“‘What are you doing!?’ the cashier enquired surprisingly. By the time he finished his sentence, the receipt was already printing.”

Simple and Easy to Use

To start using the service, users must first download Samsung Pay, which is accessible via the Gear Manager app, onto their Gear S3 and set up the companion app on their mobile device. Once a user registers their cards on their Gear S3, they will no longer require their smartphone to make payments. The user simply needs to long press the side button, enter their PIN, select the card they wish to use and tap the device on any point-of-sale (POS) terminal.

“Samsung Pay is known for being easy to use on a smartphone because of its swipe feature,” notes Jungyouel Bang, Senior Engineer, Samsung Electronics’ Wearable H/W R&D Group. “We wanted to replicate that simplicity on the Gear S3, so we added a button specifically for the pay service.”

Another benefit of Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 is that the service is compatible not only with Samsung devices, but other Android-running smartphones as well*.

Safe and Secure

One of the biggest concerns consumers have when it comes to making mobile payments is security. Just like Samsung Pay on mobile devices, Samsung Pay on Gear S3 uses the same trusted Samsung Knox security to protect personal payment information.

To enhance usability and convenience, developers made it so that a user only has to enter their PIN once to activate Samsung Pay. However, the service is locked when sensors embedded in the Gear S3 detect that the device has been removed from the wrist. As a result, the user must reenter their PIN each time the smartwatch is removed. This ensures that a user’s card information is protected in case the device is lost. Furthermore, Samsung Pay information can easily be deleted via the Find My Mobile website.

Additionally, Samsung Pay works on the Gear S3 in the same way it works on a smartphone—each service transaction uses an encrypted digital token to replace a user’s payment information. For added security, a transaction can only be made by long pressing the dedicated button on the side of the Gear S3. Because a transaction cannot be simulated by software alone, digital pickpockets cannot hack one’s information by way of RFID skimming.

“Nowadays, people are increasingly concerned about security, especially when it comes to mobile payments,” explains Sochang Sohn, Senior Engineer of Samsung Electronics’ Tizen R&D Team. “But when we describe our security architecture to someone who asks about it, their concerns are generally alleviated pretty quickly.”

Going Forward

As noted by Youngjin Choi, Senior Engineer, Samsung Electronics’ Payment Service Group, Samsung remains committed to developing intuitive innovations like the Gear S3 and Samsung Pay, which have the potential to add new facets of convenience to users’ daily lives.

“Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 is ideal for those small, on-the-go payments, when it’s inconvenient to carry a phone or wallet, as a smartwatch is something you can wear every day,” says Choi. “We feel that this is what sets our service apart, and we’re optimistic about its growing adoption and acceptance in the years ahead.”

* Compatible with select devices using Android 4.4 and later in select markets.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” campaign required that the team cycle across Korea using only Samsung Pay to pay for their expenses.

Leaving their wallets behind, the participants began their four-day expedition on October 29 at Seoul Sports Complex in the nation’s capital. As they traveled the 560-kilometer route to the southern coastal city of Busan, they were able to personally experience all the benefits Samsung Pay has to offer.

For example, they were able to make direct payments, withdraw cash from ATMs, and use membership cards at various businesses, even in the most remote areas of the country.

“We really wanted to prove the point that Samsung Pay can be used virtually anywhere.” stated David Bitton, one of the team members. “So every time I saw a card terminal, I said to myself, ‘That will work.’ And it did—even at fruit stands and seafood markets!”

Another participant, Philipp Rosenbauer, believes that introducing the service to doubtful locals was one of the more satisfying aspects of the trip.

“As members of the Samsung Pay team, we already knew about the benefits that Samsung Pay’s wide acceptance brings to users, thanks to our MST technology,” he noted. “However, ‘Samsung Pay on the Road’ allowed us to experience the widespread acceptance first-hand. Being able to interact with merchants in local markets in the countryside, and watching the service work to the shop owners’ surprise was a fun and rewarding experience.”

In addition to exploring unfamiliar places and trying new things, the team was also able to give back to the community. Based on the distance they traveled during the cross-country trip, the employees were able to raise money to purchase new school supplies and equipment for Hyunpoong Middle School in Daegu, Korea.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” team gets ready to start their cross-country journey. Pictured (from left) are Philipp Rosenbauer, Chul Song, David Bitton and Derek Shimozawa.

Derek Shimozawa uses Samsung Pay to make a purchase at a seafood market in Busan, Korea.

Philipp Rosenbauer enjoyed being able to introduce the mobile payment service to ticket counter staffs who had never used it before.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” team took advantage of the many features of Samsung Pay throughout their trip, such as withdrawing cash from ATMs.

Derek Shimozawa uses Samsung Pay to order coffee at an observatory in Yeoju, Korea.

The “Samsung Pay on the Road” team takes a commemorative photograph during their trip.

With the new partnership, Samsung Pay is now available with seven major banks including Alfa Bank JSC, VTB 24 OJSC, MTS OJSC, Reiffeisen Bank JSC, Russian Standard Bank JSC and Yandex LLC.

To use Samsung Pay, customers simply need to open the Samsung Pay app and tap their compatible* Samsung device against the NFC or MST reader to make a payment.

Mr. Arkadiy Graf, Head of Samsung Mobile Russia, said, “Since September 28, Samsung Pay has provided our Russian users with a simple and secure payment method that can be used almost anywhere they can swipe or tap their payment cards. We’re delighted to announce the availability of Samsung Pay for Sberbank customers. With this partnership, Samsung Pay now covers 65 percent of all private bank accounts in Russia and 80 percent of the country’s urban population.”

Mr. Alexander Torbakhov, Deputy Chairman of the Sberbank Board, said: “Very soon credit cards will become a relic of the past. Smartphones and smart watches, that let users pay for purchases quickly and safely are to replace cards. Now Sberbank customers can use a convenient Samsung Pay service and make payments with a single touch of the smartphone, almost anywhere payment cards are accepted.”

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere that credit, debit and prepaid cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenization and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

No fees are charged by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. from any Samsung Pay users, emitting banks, acquirer banks and trading companies.

* Compatible Samsung devices currently include the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy A5 (2016) and A7 (2016). Samsung Pay availability with NFC payments will also be extended to additional devices including the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge.

Sberbank OJSC

Sberbank is the largest bank in Russia and one of the leading global financial institutions. Sberbank accounts for around one-third of Russian banking sector assets. Sberbank is a key creditor for the national economy and has the biggest share on the deposit market. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation is the founder and a principal shareholder of Sberbank OJSC. It owns 50% of its registered capital plus a voting share. The remaining 50% of the bank’s shares belong to Russian and global investors. Over 135 million people and 4 million companies in 20 countries are Sberbank clients. The bank has the largest network in Russia, consisting of around 17,000 offices and business units. The bank’s foreign network consists of subsidiary banks, branches and representative offices in the UK, USA, Central and Eastern Europe, India, China, Turkey and more.

“When we introduced online payments in South Korea last year, the service was well received by the market. Online payments accounted for more than 25 percent of the 2 trillion won in processed transactions, demonstrating that consumers may be actively looking for solutions to make their online experiences faster, simpler and secure,” said Thomas Ko, VP and Global GM, Samsung Pay, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “By partnering with Masterpass in the U.S. and rolling out online payments globally, we will simplify the online transaction experience by eliminating the need for customers to fill out tedious online checkout forms, remember long passwords or fumble for their wallets.”

“Mastercard is working to ensure that every one of our accounts is as digital as the people using them,” said Garry Lyons, Chief Innovation Officer at Mastercard. “Enabling our cardholders to use Samsung Pay to shop online via Masterpass is the latest example of our work – alongside our banks, merchants and digital partners – to deliver rich, innovative, compelling and secure ways to pay and get paid across all channels and devices, redefining commerce globally.”

Samsung Pay will provide consumers with a seamless online payment platform with benefits including:

• Express Checkout: Skip the process of filling out long online forms. With the express checkout solution, customers will be able use their Mastercard debit or credit cards along with the shipping information saved on their Samsung Pay account to quickly complete online transactions.

• Make Purchases from Any Device: Customers can make online purchases from a computer, tablet or smartphone while shopping on their favorite sites or apps.

• Secure Transactions: Security remains our top priority. When making online payments, a unique token is used in an encrypted form – not the actual debit or credit card number. Users can authenticate transactions using secure methods including a fingerprint scanner, which is built into Samsung’s mobile devices.

Samsung Pay also announced new features in the United States, including support for in-app payments and new nearby discounts and savings, marking one more step toward a true digital wallet. The announcements came at Money 20/20, a leading payments and financial services event.

Access to Deals at Nearby Stores:

Beginning in November, Samsung Pay users will be able to locate discounts and coupons for nearby stores and restaurants through the new Deals feature within the Samsung Pay app, and redeem these deals instantly. With a new refreshed look, and enhancements to user experience and design on the Samsung Pay app, users will be able to find and redeem instant savings easily and quickly.

New In-App Payments:

In November, users will also be able to use Samsung Pay as their payment option when they shop at select merchant apps.  Simply select Samsung Pay during check-out, and select from the cards loaded within the app to make an in-app payment. To start, in-app payments will be available for Samsung Pay users when they shop with Velocity, Raise, Fancy, Hello Vino, Wish and Touch of Modern, with more to come.

Partnership Ecosystem:

With the addition of its latest financial partners Capital One and USAA, Samsung Pay now supports over 500 banks and credit unions, representing over 85 percent of the U.S. debit card and credit card market.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere* you can swipe or tap your card**. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience.

Samsung Pay is currently available in the United States on select Galaxy devices and wearables, including the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, the Gear S2, and the Gear S3 next month.

* Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more.

** Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit http://www.samsung.com/samsungpay/ to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

And what an incredible year it’s been.

We’ve transformed an idea into the most widely accepted mobile payment service globally. We now have more than four million membership cards registered in the United States and South Korea, we expanded our global partner ecosystem and, soon, we’ll be bringing several exciting new features to our customers in the U.S.

While there are many successes to celebrate, the mobile payment industry continues to move forward. Here at Samsung, we’re committed to driving the evolution  by looking at more than just mobile payments.

Combining Technology with a Fundamental Challenge

Samsung Pay was born from the need to solve a simple problem: Payments are too complex. Between cash, credit and debit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, coupons and receipts, there are too many things to squeeze into our wallets.

At the same time, smartphones have changed the way we live, work and interact with one another. We saw an opportunity to upgrade the wallet as we have traditionally known it by combining it with advanced technology solutions.

From Mind to Market – Turning Ideas Into Reality

Our mission for Samsung Pay goes beyond simply developing technology – we’re driven to create a holistic digital wallet experience. To do this, we need to change the way people think about making purchases.

It’s a hard task but I believe we’re on the right track. As we move forward, we’ll continue to improve our solution and bring more benefits to users, including new value-added services from our expanding partner ecosystem.

New Samsung Pay Features…

Value-added services are critical to making sure we’re upgrading the wallet and making users’ lives more convenient. With this, we’re incredibly excited to announce new features for our U.S. customers.

Knowing that our customers are already enjoying our membership, gift and loyalty cards and more, we are launching a location-based Deals feature. With this new feature, Samsung Pay users will be able to locate discounts and coupons for nearby stores and restaurants within the app and redeem these deals instantly. What I love about this feature is that it’s available to all Samsung Pay users across the country. With the introduction of Deals, we are refreshing the look of the app by making enhancements to the user experience and design.

We’re embarking on a global partnership with Mastercard to offer a seamless online payment and express checkout solution through its digital payment service Masterpass. With this partnership, Samsung Pay will simplify the online transaction experience in the U.S. by taking away the need for users to fill out tedious online checkout forms, remember long passwords or fumble for their wallets.

Soon, users will be able to make in-app payments by choosing Samsung Pay as their payment option when they shop on select merchant apps. It’s really simple and easy to use. All you have to do is select Samsung Pay during checkout and choose from the cards on file to make an in-app payment. We already have some fantastic partners for our U.S. customers to try out this feature, including Velocity,  Raise, Fancy, Hello Vino, Wish, and Touch of Modern, and we will continue to add additional partners in the future.

All you have to do is select Samsung Pay during checkout and choose from the cards on file to make an in-app payment. We already have some fantastic partners for our U.S. customers to try out this feature, including Velocity, Raise, Fancy, Hello Vino, Wish and Touch of Modern, and we will continue to add additional partners in the future.

…And New Ways to Make Use of Them

To achieve our vision for mobile payments, we must constantly improve our solution to meet the evolving needs of our users. That’s why we’re expanding Samsung Pay onto other devices, including the Samsung Gear S3 with both NFC and MST technologies.

Bringing Samsung Pay to wearable devices opens mobile payments up to more people, while simultaneously making it more convenient to make payments.

These features bring us closer than ever to a true digital wallet, and I hope that you agree after trying them out!

Global Expansion and Building Upon our Partnership Ecosystem

Something we always look toward at Samsung is bringing Samsung Pay to as many users as we can worldwide.

In line with this, I’m thrilled to share that by the end of 2016, we will expand the service to three new markets: Malaysia, Thailand and Russia. This will bring Samsung Pay to 10 countries by the end of the year and expansion will only continue in the years to come.

Our growing partnership ecosystem provides an increasingly ubiquitous payment experience. With both Capital One and USAA on board in the United States, we now support from more than 500 banks and credit unions, representing over 85 percent of the U.S. debit and credit card market.

A Wonderful, Exciting Year

We have great ambitions for Samsung Pay, as a tool and a solution that shapes our future mindsets and how we make every day transactions.

So, to our customers and partners around the world, thank you for joining us on this journey. We’re excited for what’s to come.

“Since its launch a year ago, Samsung Pay has redefined what consumers can expect from a digital wallet,” said Nana Murugesan, VP/GM of Service and New Business at Samsung Electronics America. “Samsung Pay has led the way for mobile payments in the U.S. by providing our customers innovative services they can use almost anywhere they shop. Our impressive growth shows that we are closer than ever to a world without wallets. We are excited to roll out more services and features that will allow the user experience and build enthusiasm for a safer, smarter and better digital wallet.”

Driving Toward a Full Digital Wallet Experience

Samsung Pay continues to add features and services to make it a holistic digital wallet that extends beyond debit and credit cards. In partnership with Quotient Technology Inc. [NYSE: QUOT] formerly Coupons.com Incorporated, a leading digital promotions platform, Samsung Pay offers users the ability to search, save and redeem coupons at select retailers directly within the app.

At any time, users can upload a membership or loyalty card from select retailers within Quotient’s partner network; including many of their favorite grocery, drug, dollar and other retailers. Users then view hundreds of offers and save the coupons they’d like to use, and, because the coupons are linked to a membership account, the savings will automatically be applied when they check-out with Samsung Pay.

With Samsung Pay, users can redeem gift cards from hundreds of the nation’s largest retailers, as well as earn rewards through merchants’ membership programs. As part of today’s feature announcement, Samsung Pay now also offers users with a convenient cloud storage feature to restore membership, gift, and Samsung Reward cards whenever they sign into a new device.

Growing Partnership Ecosystem

When Samsung Pay launched in the U.S. a year ago, it supported cards from four banks. Today, Samsung Pay works with over 500 banks nationwide covering over 80 percent of all debit and credit cards in the U.S. Samsung Pay continues to add banking and merchant partners in order to bring the simple, secure digital wallet experience to more customers across the country.*

Celebrating Samsung Pay’s First Birthday

To mark its one-year anniversary, Samsung Pay is offering users over $100,000 in prizes on 9/28. As part of the celebration, 365 lucky winners will receive a Gear S2, which now works with Samsung Pay. Currently in beta, Samsung Pay on Gear S2 works using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology allowing users to make a payment at any NFC terminal. Full entry details and rules can be found here: http://samsungpaybirthday.dja.com.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments: fingerprint or iris-scanning authentication, tokenization and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.
  Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S7 active, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 active, Galaxy Note7 and Galaxy Note5.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience.

Source: Samsung Newsroom US

Four members of the team behind Samsung Pay discuss the service’s first year achievements, as well as what we can expect from it in the near future.

Principal Designer Sunghan Kim (left) contributes to Samsung Pay as a UX designer. Senior Manager Jake Kim (middle) manages Samsung Pay’s roadmap and features, and Director Seunghan Dan (right) is in charge of local partner engagement and supports in the Asia Pacific region.

Q. What has been the general response to Samsung Pay since its initial launch?

Jake Kim: Over the past year, we’ve launched Samsung Pay in seven countries, and the response has been overwhelming. One of the most common remarks we hear from consumers is that they’re satisfied with the fact that they can leave their wallet at home, since Samsung Pay works almost anywhere.

A typical merchant’s first experience with Samsung Pay starts with denial. “Sorry, we don’t accept mobile payments.” Then it turns into disbelief. “Did it really work?” Which then leads to an enthusiastic “Wow!” when they realize Samsung Pay works on their legacy point-of-sale (POS) terminals without any additional steps in the transaction process.

Q. What were the challenges you experienced when launching Samsung Pay?

Seunghan Dan: Competition is very fierce in the current mobile wallet market. Our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) competitors aren’t the only ones out there; many issuing banks and even telecom operators are investing a lot to launch their own mobile wallets. Building strong partnerships will be key to staying ahead. We’re constantly coming up with proposals that could mutually benefit both parties.

Jake Kim: Expanding Samsung Pay hasn’t exactly been a “copy and paste” process. We’ve found that many factors influence the payment experience including the payment infrastructure, regulatory framework and user preferences, which can vary from one country to the next. Maintaining consistency while adapting to each market has been one of our biggest challenges.

Sunghan Kim: One of the challenges for the UX team was to come up with a way to make Samsung Pay an easier and faster method of offline payment than cash and credit cards—consumers’ typical methods of payment. We also wanted to create an outstanding digital wallet experience while making sure it would be safer and more convenient. The second challenge is an ongoing one—to ensure Samsung Pay maintains it simplicity as we continue to add more value-added features and functionality.

Q. Are there any moments that were particularly memorable during this whole process?

Sunghan Kim: When we started, we established a task force of UX designers from various services. We spent weeks creating various user experience solutions and ideas for the first version of Samsung Pay. While brainstorming, our entire work space was completely covered in design proposals. During this time, my team members and I were excited about introducing a totally new digital wallet experience, but also nervous about doing something that had never been done before.

Jin Lim: For me, the U.S. service launch was especially memorable. I remember the day before we went live with the service in the U.S. All our team members were running around like crazy while preparing to open the service right before midnight. I will never forget seeing the traffic surge on our monitoring dashboard and realizing that those were actual users coming into system.

Principle Engineer Jin Lim of the Service R&D team develops and operates Samsung Pay features, and aligns the service with partners’ systems.

Q. Which markets have been the quickest to adopt the service?

Jin Lim: I think that the Korean market has been the quickest to adopt, partially because Korea, like many other Asian countries, is especially open to experimenting with new technologies. Also, there was a large number of Korean issuers who wanted to participate in the Samsung Pay launch, which helped to ensure that users would have at least one card that could be enrolled in the service. As a result, we had explosive adoption and usage growth in the first three months, which in turn, eventually convinced other issuers to partner with Samsung Pay.

Seunghan Dan: Singapore, a country with one of the most advanced financial infrastructures in the region, has been very quick to adopt as well. Competition there is fierce. The good thing, though, is that most Singaporeans know about the digital wallet and how to use it. We see this as an opportunity to quickly expand our value-added services in Singapore.

Q. Are there any advantages to Samsung Pay that are a result of the company’s position as a hardware manufacturer?

Seunghan Dan: Sure. Thanks to our MST technology, Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that can be accepted almost everywhere, whether the PoS terminal is contactless or not.

Jin Lim: Security is also another advantage. Samsung Knox and biometric authentication at the hardware level such as fingerprint and iris scanning really sets us apart from a competitive standpoint.

Sunghan Kim: The Samsung Pay UX team wanted to make the device itself (rather than an app) a digital wallet so the user could launch the service immediately. Collaboration with the device UX team made this possible. As a result, Samsung Pay can be launched with a single swipe-up action from the home button even while in sleep mode. It provides convenience to users and also gives Samsung Pay a competitive edge when it comes to usability.

Q. What can we expect from Samsung Pay in the near future?

Jin Lim: From an engineering standpoint, we are continuously working to improve Samsung Pay’s infrastructure architecture to increase service availability from 99.9 percent to 99.99 percent. We’re doing this by implementing a data center model which enables our service to be more reliable.

Jake Kim: We need to build on the momentum we’ve created and continue to build up more added value services such as membership, loyalty and transportation cards to achieve a more complete digital wallet experience. We’re also going to focus on online payment services and partnerships, as more and more customers are now shopping online.

Since its introduction, Samsung Pay has seen nearly 100 million unique transactions, and over 4 million Membership Cards registered. There are now more than 440 banking and merchant partners, and the number is continuously growing.

The infographic below illustrates how Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, is working to rid the world of wallets and change the way people pay.

* 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.

Samsung Electronics, today celebrates the one year anniversary of Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, with about 100 million unique transactions in seven countries to date.

“Since its introduction a year ago, Samsung Pay continues to lead mobile payments by providing services that are simple, secure and virtually anywhere,” said Injong Rhee, CTO and EVP of Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our ambition to reach a world without wallets continues to draw ever closer, and this strong consumer adoption signals a shift in behavior and demonstrates the continued enthusiasm for a safer, smarter and better mobile wallet.”

Global Market and Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay pushes to grow and provide enhanced services, making it a holistic digital wallet extending beyond just credit or debit cards. Users can add membership cards, gift cards and redeem coupons, and today there are more than 4 million registered membership cards in the United States and South Korea, providing more convenient and flexible payment experiences in users’ everyday lives.* Samsung Pay also continues to add banking and merchant partners across the globe, with more than 440 bank issuers currently supported by the service.**

Across Korea specifically, the market has processed more than 2 trillion won in transactions with more than 25 percent of the transactions made online. Nearly 11 million cards related to value-added services, including membership, ATM and transit cards, have been registered, demonstrating the clear shift in consumer behavior and benefits Samsung Pay brings to users in Korea.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments: fingerprint or iris-scanning authentication, tokenization and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE*: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including the new Galaxy Note7, Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5 as well as premium and mid-range options like the 2016 models of the Galaxy A5, A7 and A9.*

*Visit www.samsung.com/pay for the list of partners that support Samsung Pay.
**Availability may vary by each region and market condition.

Secure and easy to use, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹ that debit cards or credit cards are accepted. Samsung Pay allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at point of sale terminals, thanks to both MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and NFC technologies.

Brazil joins South Korea, the United States, China, Spain, Singapore, Australia and Puerto Rico in the list of priority markets to launch the mobile payment service.

According to research conducted by FEBRABAN (the Federation of Brazilian Banks), mobile banking usage is on the rise in Brazil. In fact, it increased by 138 percent in 2015 with more than 11 billion bank transactions through smartphones, compared to 4.7 billion transactions in 2014.

“Samsung Pay reinforces the company’s focus to bring value to both consumers and partners by bringing innovative services to your smartphones,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “We are always exploring creative technologies and use cases to provide consumers with an immersive and holistic mobile wallet experience.”

“We are extremely excited that Samsung Pay is now available in Brazil. As the first market in South America to roll out our mobile payment service, Brazil will pave the way for the region’s adoption of Samsung Pay,” said André Varga, Product Director of Samsung’s Mobile Devices Division in Brazil.

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers. Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as MasterCard and Visa to bring mobile payments to consumers. The service will launch with major issuers including Banco do Brasil, Brasil Pré-Pagos, Caixa, Porto Seguro, and Santander. Additionally, we are working with other bank partners including Banrisul, Bradesco, Nubank and Itaú-Unibanco, to make the service available to more consumers in Brazil. The list of partners eligible to offer this service is available on the website http://www.samsung.com.br/samsungpay.

More Than a Payment

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere that cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, consumers simply need to swipe up on their compatible Samsung smartphone, scan their fingerprint and make a payment. It’s that easy!
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenization and Samsung KNOX.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay will be compatible with a majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone anywhere that allows payment by swiping or tapping a card with MST and NFC.

Samsung Pay will be available on the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy S6² and Galaxy S6 edge² beginning on July 19 in Brazil.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works almost anywhere³ you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience. Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards and Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Please visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more.

¹Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

²Only with NFC ; MST is not supported.

³Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of Samsung pay in the Ibirapuera Auditorium, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(From left to right) Changhoon Yoon, VP of Samsung Brazil, Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro and Jeonghwan Kim President and CEO of Samsung Latin America.

Attandees checks out the Samsung Pay during the launching event in the Ibirapuera Auditorium, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at terminals, thanks to both MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and NFC (Near Field Communications) technologies. Samsung Pay will be available starting today on compatible Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S7  and Galaxy S7 edge with specific availability varying by local operator¹ in Puerto Rico.

“We’re excited to partner with Banco Popular to bring Samsung Pay to Puerto Rico,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “With Samsung Pay, you can shop in Puerto Rico right from your phones at retail chains and independent businesses – the stores you already know and love. With the widest acceptance, Samsung Pay works almost anywhere² you scan swipe or tap a card.”

Today’s announcement follows Samsung Pay’s recent launch in three new countries across three continents. In June, Samsung Pay began operations in Spain, its first market in Europe; Singapore, its first within the South East Asian region; and Australia, its first market within the Oceania region. These launches mark a significant milestone in the service’s global expansion, with a number of additional markets, including Brazil, Canada and the U.K., coming this year.

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers upon its launch.

Currently, Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as MasterCard and Visa, and Puerto Rico’s leading financial institution, Banco Popular.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a digital wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is enabling users to make easy, secure payments right from their phone almost anywhere plastic cards are accepted.

SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.

SECURE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.

ALMOST ANYWHERE³: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.

1 Samsung Pay is available to these smartphones with the Marshmallow software update. Availability of this update to specific devices is dependent on individual operators. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy A5 on the Claro network.

2 Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please visit http://www.samsung.com/latin/samsungpay/ to learn more.

3 Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Electronics announced today that Samsung Pay, the most widely accepted mobile payment system, successfully launched in three new countries, across three continents in three weeks, including:

• Spain, the first market to launch in Europe;
• Singapore, the first within the South East Asian region; and
• Australia, the first market to launch within the Oceania region.

The launch marks a significant milestone in the service’s global expansion, with a number of additional markets, including Brazil, Canada and the U.K., planned this year.

“Samsung Pay’s momentum is bringing us closer than ever to a world without wallets,” said Injong Rhee, CTO and EVP of Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Consumers are seeking convenience, security and ease of use in a mobile payment solution, and these latest launches show how Samsung Pay is providing an even faster and easier experience to a broader base of global users.”

Growing Ecosystem and Adoption

Samsung Pay is fueling strong consumer adoption and a growing partner ecosystem. The service has processed more than $1 billion in transactions in South Korea since its launch less than a year ago, demonstrating the increased adoption and showcasing its position as a preferred service for making secure, convenient payments.*

Also since launching in the U.S. in September 2015 with four banks and support for credit, debit and private label credit card payments, Samsung Pay is now supported by 300 major and regional banks and credit unions. Value-added services such as gift cards, and membership and loyalty features have been added as well with more than 110 merchants joining Samsung Pay’s Gift Card program and more than 140 retailers participating in its membership and loyalty cards program.

More Than a Payment Service

Building on its extensive ecosystem, Samsung recently announced partnerships with both Citi for Asia Pacific and Ant Financial Services Group, parent company of Alipay, in China that further bolster Samsung Pay’s compatibility with payment networks and banks, and provide choice and flexibility to its users.

Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, can be used to make purchases almost anywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users simply swipe up on their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SECURE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments: fingerprint authentication, tokenization and Samsung KNOX, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE**: Samsung Pay provides wider acceptance by leveraging both Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which allow users to pay almost anywhere a card can be swiped or tapped.

Additionally, Samsung Pay continues to evolve and expand its services beyond payments, now offering U.S. users gift card, membership and loyalty card support. This gives them easy and direct access to receive savings, rewards and other applicable offers all from their Galaxy smartphone. Users in other global markets can soon expect to see additional value-added services that enable them to make more than just payments in their respective regions.

Samsung Pay is currently available on select Galaxy devices including the new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5 as well as premium and mid-range options like the 2016 models of the Galaxy A5, A7 and A9.***

* Samsung Pay launched in August 2015 in South Korea and in September 2015 in the U.S. market.

** Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge on the Telstra network. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

*** Availability may vary by country and region.

Australia and Singapore Credit Cardmembers of Citibank, Citi’s global consumer banking business, will have the option to make payments across Australia and Singapore using their compatible Samsung mobile phones. The partnership marks a new addition to Samsung Pay’s extensive portfolio of major payment networks and banks, to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Australia and Singapore. Additional markets will be added to the network in the coming months. Citi Korea launched Samsung Pay in August 2015 and the service was launched by Citi in the U.S. in November 2015.

“We’re seeing significant global growth for Samsung Pay, and view our expanded partnership with Citi as a key to that continued momentum. With Citi, we’re extending Samsung Pay’s reach into Southeast Asia, giving cardholders an easier and safer mobile payment experience,” said Injong Rhee, CTO and EVP of Software and Services, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics.

“We are delighted to work with Samsung Electronics to offer our credit card customers a faster and easier way of making payments using Samsung Pay. Our value propositions are already best in each category and through this partnership, we bring added convenience to our credit card customers who can now simply use their mobile phones to tap and pay for their purchases. At Citi, we continue to prioritize our efforts to make banking easier for our customers by leveraging digitization and innovation. Samsung Pay is one of the many exciting digital solutions that we are progressively introducing to our customers to offer them a differentiated experience that only a Citibank credit card customer can get to enjoy” said Sergio Zanatti, Head of Cards & Unsecured Loans for Citi in Asia Pacific.

Samsung Pay continues to grow its partnership ecosystem with partners like Citi , to provide consumers with a mobile payment solution that is simple, safe and widely accessible. Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases nearly everywhere cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, users can simply swipe up, scan their fingerprint and pay.
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – Fingerprint Authentication, tokenization and Samsung KNOX.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE**: Samsung Pay is compatible with the majority of existing and new terminals, allowing users to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card.

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your card. Combining NFC with Samsung’s proprietary MST technologies, Samsung Pay provides consumers a way to pay almost anywhere you can swipe or tap a card at millions of merchant locations**. Samsung continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem for Samsung Pay to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers while enabling an easy and safe payment experience. Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards and Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more.

* Availability may vary by country and region.

** Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Pay will be available starting today on compatible Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, with specific availability varying by local operator².

“Today’s launch of Samsung Pay offers more than a secure and convenient way for Samsung smartphone owners to pay,” said Prasad Gokhale, Vice President, Mobile Division, Samsung Australia. “It’s the next development for Australians who use their smartphone as the central device to live, organise and enjoy their lives.

“Australia is a market of early technology adopters and by providing a platform open to all partners, ranging from government to financial institutions and retailers, while upholding the highest standards of security and data privacy, Samsung is fueling the transition to a truly digital wallet.”

The arrival of Samsung Pay in Australia follows successful launches in South Korea, the United States, China and Spain.

“In the first six months of launching in Korea and the U.S., Samsung Pay has surpassed more than 5 million registered users and today has processed more than US$1billion of transactions in South Korea alone,” said Elle Kim, Global Vice President, Samsung Pay, Mobile Communications Business. “This success indicates a tremendous opportunity in Australia, a market where contactless payments are already in strong demand.”

Strong Partnerships to Benefit Consumers and Businesses

At launch, Samsung Pay partners in Australia will be American Express and Citibank.

Citibank credit card cardholders as well as American Express Issued Card Members will be able to use Samsung Pay, with a compatible Samsung smartphone, at participating retailers.

Vice President Payment Consulting Group, American Express JAPA, Nick Alexander, said: “Samsung Pay provides our American Express Issued Card Members another way to pay using the latest in smartphone payment technology, and speeds up the payment process for merchants. American Express is not only striving to be where our customers are, but are also looking for more ways to integrate rewards and loyalty into the payment experience, so that when our customers use their phones to pay, they are earning rewards as well.”

Citi Global Consumer Bank, Australia, Managing Director of Cards and Consumer Lending, Alan Machet said: “The strong partnership between Citibank and Samsung Pay will see both parties collaborate to bring services to our globally-minded customers. Citi credit card customers can now simply and securely use Samsung mobile phones to tap and pay for purchases in Australia and overseas.”

“Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for our customers,” said Kim.

“Samsung Pay adopts an open engagement model, designed to support payment and non-payment cards from multiple providers. By doing this, Samsung can operate seamlessly with a wide range of partners, systems and payment channels,” Kim added.

More Than Money

Outside of payments, Samsung Pay has the potential to be integrated with an array of partners, ranging from major retailers to government departments and ticketing companies.

Partner integration is even simpler with Samsung Pay because the technology utilizes Near Field Communication (NFC) and Samsung’s proprietary technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), making it the only payment solution with wider acceptance.

“The MST technology enables Samsung Pay to support partners that use a traditional magnetic stripe, commonly found on loyalty cards, gift cards and transit cards, both in Australia and across the globe,” Kim said.

“It’s our goal to one day replace wallets, by making every card accessible on Samsung smartphones. In countries like Australia, where customers are already using their smartphones to make payments, our customers will certainly value the benefits of having all their cards in one place and Samsung Pay will provide that convenience to them,” Kim concluded.

Safe and Secure

Samsung Pay includes three levels of security to help enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenisation and Samsung KNOX.

Each transaction uses an encrypted digital token to replace a user’s personal payment information and payments can only be authorised with an approved fingerprint or PIN. Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform also monitors malicious software and activities on a user’s device for added security and protection.

Easy-to-Use Application

To make a payment on Samsung Pay, simply swipe up, choose the desired payment card, authenticate the transaction with the fingerprint sensor and tap the device on the point of sale terminal.

Samsung Pay can be used in an offline mode, should customers be located in areas without internet connectivity³.

1 Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy S6 and S6 edge on the Telstra network. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

2 Samsung Pay is available to these smartphones with the Marshmallow software update. Availability of this update to specific devices is dependent on individual operators. Samsung Pay will be available soon for Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy Note 5 on the Telstra network.  Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge do not support MST.

3 Internet access is required occasionally to download new tokens (as defined by card schemes). Limits to offline transactions are dependent on each card scheme.

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced that it will be the first in Southeast Asia to make Samsung Pay available beginning on June 16. Secure and easy-to-use, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹ that debit cards or credit cards are accepted. In fact, Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at terminals that accept contactless payment as well as those that do not accept contactless payment.

“Since the introduction of Samsung Pay last year, we have seen great momentum and experienced significant consumer adoption. Samsung Pay has redefined the way consumers pay and use their smartphones,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to bring this service to Singapore consumers and we hope to introduce value-added services to drive and lead innovation in mobile commerce, giving consumers a safer, smarter and better mobile wallet.”

“We are extremely excited that Samsung Pay is now available in Singapore. As the first market in Southeast Asia to roll out our mobile payment service, Singapore will pave the way for the region’s adoption of Samsung Pay,” said Stephen Suh, President, Samsung Electronics Singapore.

Added Mr. Suh: “We have established extensive partnerships with card networks, issuers and merchants for Samsung Pay to be readily available almost anywhere for consumers in Singapore, so that everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity, safety and convenience of the mobile payment service. By supporting both contactless and non contactless payment, we are confident that this benefit will help to drive consumer adoption for Samsung Pay. What’s more, you can transact any value on Samsung Pay², up to the amount of your credit card limit.”

Comprehensive Ecosystem

Partner Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is continually expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Singapore. Currently, Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as American Express³, MasterCard and Visa, and major banks such as Citibank, DBS/POSB, OCBC Bank and Standard Chartered.

Additionally, Samsung and Singtel will be exploring potential collaborations in the mobile payment space.

Merchant Ecosystem

At launch, Samsung Pay will be accepted at the vast majority of merchants, wherever MasterCard or Visa is accepted, and is not limited to merchants that have updated to contactless terminals. Singapore consumers will be able to use Samsung Pay at their favorite popular chains, as well as thousands of independent shops.  For merchants that have not yet updated to contactless terminals, Samsung Pay’s proprietary MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) technology enables contactless payment on existing merchant terminals.

As part of Samsung’s efforts to provide a seamless experience for Samsung Pay customers from the first time they try Samsung Pay, Samsung has been actively engaging selected merchants, providing training to their cashiers and point of sale acceptance marks. Samsung Pay will feature close to 40 preferred merchants at launch. From launch, customers will immediately be able to utilize Samsung Pay at most merchants⁴ within the following categories:

• Supermarkets and Convenience Stores
• Departmental Stores
• Healthcare and Beauty Outlets
• Food and Beverage Outlets
• Fashion and Lifestyle Outlets
• Electronics and Furnishing Stores
• Travel and Entertainment

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere that credit and debit cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: With Samsung Pay, every transaction is made super easy. You simply need to swipe up to bring up the last transacted credit or debit card, scan your fingerprint or key in your PIN and make payment.

• SAFE: With each separate transaction, Samsung Pay uses an encrypted digital token to replace sensitive card information to prevent fraud. Your payment information is better protected than ever before. Transactions made on Samsung Pay require registered fingerprint or PIN for authorization, so you are in control when each payment is made. The encrypted fingerprint information is stored in a separate, secure area of your device. Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform, which received the most “Strong” ratings of any mobile security platform for Corporate Managed Security⁵, provides real-time kernel protection and monitors malicious software and activities on your device for added security.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE¹: Samsung Pay is accepted almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your credit or debit card. By incorporating Samsung’s proprietary MST technology, together with NFC (Near Field Communication), Samsung Pay will be compatible with the majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone almost anywhere. Thanks to MST, Singapore users can also use Samsung Pay for transactions above $100.

The Galaxy Experience

Samsung Pay is an example of how Samsung continues to push the boundaries of hardware, software and services to create devices that are designed to improve how consumers connect, share, organize and get more out of life. The company is redefining what is possible, beyond the limits of today’s technology, by introducing a constellation of seamless mobile experiences to bring added flexibility and convenience to consumers’ lives.

Samsung Pay will be available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, S6 edge+ 4G+, S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ beginning on June 16 in Singapore.

1 Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

2 Most NFC terminals currently accept payments up to $100, while there is no limit on payment transactions via MST terminals (subject to a cardholder’s credit card limit).

3 Coming soon

4 Subject to changes

5 “Mobile Device Security: A Comparison of Platforms”, Gartner, Inc. (6 April 2016)

“Our goal with Samsung Pay is to drive and lead innovation in mobile commerce, giving consumers a safer, smarter and better mobile wallet,” said Victor Kim, Global Director, Samsung Pay. “Samsung operates an open model of partnership and collaboration to deliver the best possible customer experience. With Samsung Pay, we’re confident that we’re providing Spanish customers with the mobile payments service that they’re looking for.”

“We are proud that Spain is the first European market to introduce Samsung Pay, an innovative new service that we believe will mark a turning point both in Spaniards’ payments behaviour and the evolution of the payments market as a whole,” commented Celestino García, Corporate Vice President, Samsung Spain. “The opportunity for Samsung Pay in Spain is significant, due to the high smartphone penetration rate and the digitalisation of the banking sector. Moreover, according to recent research[1] commissioned by Samsung, nearly six in 10 Spaniards are interested in incorporating a secure, simple and widely accepted payments service like Samsung Pay into their lives.”

Samsung Pay offers a number of benefits:

• SECURE. Samsung Pay uses three different levels to guarantee payment security: fingerprint identification; tokenization to encrypt card credentials; and Samsung KNOX, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.

• SIMPLE. To make a payment with Samsung Pay, users simply swipe their finger up the screen on a smartphone that is compatible with the service, scan their fingerprint and pay.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE. Samsung Pay enables consumers to pay in any location where purchases can be made using a contactless credit or debit card.

NFC-enabled, Samsung Pay-ready devices include the Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 edge, S6, S6 edge and S6 edge+, with specific availability varying by local operator. The Galaxy A5 2016 will also support Samsung Pay in the coming weeks.

Samsung Pay is the Mobile Payments Service Spaniards Have Been Waiting for

New research conducted by Ipsos[2] for Samsung Spain found that half of Spaniards aged between 35 and 65 carry more than two debit or credit cards in their wallets. According to the survey:

• 64 percent of consumers use credit or debit cards for all or most of their purchases;
• This figure rises to 71 percent among people aged between 35 and 44; and
• In order to enjoy even greater convenience and efficiency when shopping, 58 percent of Spaniards would like to use a secure, simple and widely accepted mobile payments solution.

Samsung Pay meets these requirements, offering three layers of security, ease-of-use and the option to pay at any location with a contactless point-of-sale (POS) terminal. Using the service does not incur an additional cost for users or businesses, as they simply need an NFC-compatible POS terminal. Users can also add up to 10 cards to the Samsung Pay application, without incurring additional charges from their banks.

With regards to mobile security, 90 percent of respondents surveyed were concerned about losing their device and someone accessing their card data. In order to deliver maximum security, Samsung Pay includes fingerprint identification, which guarantees that if your mobile phone is lost or stolen, no one will be able to access your payments information.

Extensive Ecosystem

Samsung Pay already has a strong alliance of partners and supports eligible credit and debit cards from more than 200 major global and regional banks. In addition, Samsung Pay is compatible with payments networks, including American Express, China UnionPay, MasterCard, Visa Inc. and China’s leading third-party payments platform, Alipay.

The service is already available for customers of CaixaBank and imaginBank, which will be the first in Spain and Europe to benefit from Samsung Pay.  After the launch of the service beginning today, users can download their CaixaBank and imaginBank debit or credit cards on their smartphones in order to make payments.

Samsung Pay will be available for Abanca and Banco Sabadell customers soon.

Samsung Pay is compatible with all stores that already have contactless terminals and the company is working closely with leading businesses from retail, food and service stations and parking services sectors to create value-added services for their customers. This includes well-known brands like Cepsa, Cervecería La Sureña, Domino’s Pizza,  El Corte Inglés, Fridays, Ginos, Grupo DIA, MediaMarkt, Mercadona, Phone House, Repsol, Rodilla, Saba, Starbucks, The Good Burger, The Wok, VIPS, VIPSmart, 100 Montaditos, with more to follow in due course.

In particular, El Corte Inglés will become the first issuer of private cards in Spain to offer its customers the opportunity to join and pay via Samsung Pay.

Samsung collaborates as a technology partner with the Museo Nacional del Prado’s Sponsorship Program and customers will also be able to use Samsung Pay at this renowned cultural institution.

Additionally, Samsung has organized an event with the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Industry to involve SMEs and smaller retailers in the local body’s new payment methods initiatives. On May 18, an Interact Session was held in Madrid, where Samsung illustrated the use cases and benefits of Samsung Pay, as well as the customer loyalty and retention opportunities that the platform offers.

“The Spanish market’s progressive approach to digital payments makes it a logical launch market for Samsung Pay,” added Nathalie Oestmann, Director, Samsung Pay Europe. “We believe that the comprehensive support from telecom service providers; networks and processors; and banks and merchants, will help to accelerate mobile payments adoption across Spain.”

[1] The survey on mobile payments in Spain was conducted online between 22 and 27 January 2016, among a nationally representative, gender-equal sample of 1,000 respondents aged between 18 and 65.

[2] The survey on mobile payments in Spain was conducted online between 22 and 27 January 2016, among a nationally representative, gender-equal sample of 1,000 respondents aged between 18 and 65.

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced its partnership with Citibank Singapore Limited for Samsung Pay, the secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service that can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹. Upon the service’s launch in Singapore, Citibank credit cardmembers will have the option to make payments across Singapore using their compatible Samsung mobile phones². The partnership marks a new addition to Samsung Pay’s extensive portfolio of major payment networks and banks, to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Singapore.

“We are very pleased and excited to have Citibank come onboard as our latest partner for Samsung Pay in Singapore,” said Eugene Goh, Vice President, IT & Mobile, Samsung Electronics Singapore. “The partnership with Citibank, alongside our ecosystem of partners across payment networks, banks, retailers and merchants, assures customers that they will be able to enjoy the full benefits of using Samsung Pay almost anywhere in Singapore.”

Mr John Denhof, Head of Cards and Personal Loans at Citibank Singapore Limited, said, “We are delighted to work with Samsung Electronics to offer our credit card customers a faster and easier way of making payments using Samsung Pay. Our value propositions are already best in each category and through this partnership, we bring added convenience to our credit card customers who can now simply use their mobile phones to tap and pay for their purchases. At Citibank, we continue to prioritize our efforts to make banking easier for our customers by leveraging digitization and innovation. Samsung Pay is just one of the many exciting digital solutions that we are progressively introducing to our customers to offer them a differentiated experience that only a Citibank credit card customer can get to enjoy.”

The partnership between Citibank and Samsung Pay is a win-win collaboration for both parties. Samsung will be able to leverage on Citibank’s extensive customer base and merchant network to promote greater adoption and usage of digital payments in the country while Citibank’s credit cardmembers using compatible Samsung phones will enjoy greater convenience in the payment process. With their digital wallets, Citibank customers, who are increasingly digitally-savvy, will truly benefit from being able to pay on the go, wherever they are, and whenever they want.

Samsung Pay Beta Test Program

Ahead of its launch in Q2 2016, a select group of consumers has been invited to register their participation in the beta testing for Samsung Pay. They will be among the first to preview the company’s flagship mobile payment service in Singapore. Response from consumers is encouraging, with thousands who have signed up. Registration has now closed and eligible consumers will be notified progressively ahead of the Samsung Pay Beta Test Program.

Samsung Pay will be available to users of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, S6 edge+ 4G+, S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ in Singapore.

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere¹ that credit and debit cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: With Samsung Pay, every transaction is made super easy. You simply need to swipe up to bring up the last transacted credit or debit card, scan your fingerprint or key in your PIN and make payment.

• SAFE: With each separate transaction, Samsung Pay uses an encrypted digital token to replace sensitive card information to prevent fraud. Your payment information is better protected than ever before. Transactions made on Samsung Pay require registered fingerprint or PIN for authorization, so you are in control when each payment is made. The encrypted fingerprint information is stored in a separate, secure area of your device. Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform, which received the most “Strong” ratings of any mobile security platform for Corporate Managed Security³, provides real-time kernel protection and monitors malicious software and activities on your device for added security.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE¹: Samsung Pay is accepted almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your credit or debit card. By incorporating Samsung’s proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, together with Near Field Communication (NFC), Samsung Pay will be compatible with the majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone almost anywhere.

[1] Availability almost anywhere is based on compatibility of Samsung Pay on MST and/or NFC payment terminals, with some supported for use only after software upgrades. Samsung Pay is exclusive to selected Samsung Galaxy smartphones only, and available across all participating payment networks, banks, and merchants. Availability may vary, please check for updates.

[2] Samsung Pay will be available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, S6 edge+ 4G+, S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ at launch.

[3] “Mobile Device Security: A Comparison of Platforms”, Gartner, Inc. (6 April 2016)

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.

Samsung Electronics today announced the partnership with Ant Financial Services Group, parent company of Alipay, to expand Samsung Pay in China. A simple, safe and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay works virtually anywhere you can swipe or tap a card. Users will now be able to use their Alipay account on eligible Samsung mobile phones with Samsung Pay.

“We are excited to be working with Alipay to expand Samsung Pay services in China,” said Injong Rhee, EVP and Head of R&D, Software and Services of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The reception of Samsung Pay since its launch has been extremely positive and the service has already seen tremendous success in terms of availability and adoption by consumers. We ultimately want to make Samsung Pay available to as many consumers as possible around the globe, so that everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity, safety and convenience of this mobile payment solution”

Fan Zhiming, President of Payment Business Unit at Ant Financial, said, “Alipay covers the vast majority of online payment use cases. At the same time, it also developed a variety of offline use cases, including restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, taxis, hospitals and public services. The technology integration facilitated by this partnership with Samsung Electronics will make the payment process faster and more convenient when users make payments at stores where Alipay is accepted.”

After registering your Alipay account into Samsung Pay, users simply can begin paying with their mobile phones by swiping up from the Lock Screen, Home Screen or Sleep Mode, selecting the Alipay QR code, and holding the smartphone up to the merchant’s scanner to scan the QR code at the register.

Samsung Pay and Alipay are committed to bringing ground breaking fin-tech innovations to China to deliver on the promise of a true digital wallet. Alipay is the leading third-party payment platform in China and has achieved rapid growth with its large user base. Samsung Pay continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem, with partners like Alipay, to provide consumers with a simple, safe and almost anywhere mobile payment solution in China with unparalleled access, choice and flexibility.

Samsung Pay is currently available on the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy A5(2016), Galaxy A7(2016), Galaxy A9(2016) and Galaxy A9 Pro in China with the opportunity to support additional models in the future.*

^*Availability may vary by country and region.

About Alipay

Launched in 2004, Alipay is the world’s leading third-party payment platform. It currently has over 450 million active registered users and more than 200 financial institution partners. Users can hail a taxi, book a hotel, or buy movie tickets directly from various modules within the app and purchase wealth management products such as Yu’e Bao. In addition to online payment functions such as online shopping payments, money transfer, and utility bill payments, Alipay is expanding to offline payments both inside and outside of China. Over 600,000 brick-and-mortar merchants and over one million taxis now accept Alipay as a payment method across China. As of December 2015, Alipay was accepted in more than 60,000 retail stores outside of China.

About Ant Financial Services Group 

Ant Financial Services Group is focused on serving small and micro enterprises as well as consumers.  Ant Financial is dedicated to building an open ecosystem of Internet thinking and technologies while working with other financial institutions to support the future financial needs of society. Businesses operated by Ant Financial Services Group include Alipay, Ant Fortune, Sesame Credit, MYbank and Ant Financial Cloud.

Samsung Electronics America announced today that Samsung Pay—the most widely accepted mobile payment system—is giving U.S. users another way to slim down their physical wallets with the support of membership features. Samsung Pay users now have easy, direct access to merchant membership and loyalty cards to receive savings, rewards and other offers—all on their supported Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

The average American household carries almost 30 loyalty cards.¹ With the new feature announced today, Samsung Pay lets users access all of their merchant membership and loyalty cards from one, easy-to-use application on the supported Samsung Galaxy smartphone that is already in their hands. With Samsung Pay, users no longer have to worry about fumbling through their wallet to find the right card, or worse, forgetting it and missing out on savings.

Users can upload and store merchant membership and loyalty cards in Samsung Pay—including from their gym, drug store, grocery store or any of their favorite retailers. Samsung Pay’s new membership feature can also be used to store other cards such as insurance and personal identification cards for safe keeping. To use membership or loyalty cards, users simply launch the Samsung Pay app, select the appropriate card, hold their Samsung Galaxy smartphone screen up to the merchant’s scanner, and let the card’s barcode be scanned at the register

“With this new feature, Samsung Pay is giving users quick access to their favorite membership and loyalty programs and making shopping even easier,” said Nana Murugesan, VP of Strategy and Operations for Samsung Electronics America. “Right now, shoppers have several things—credit and debit cards, membership cards, coupons, gift cards—they need to take out of their wallets and scan at the register. Samsung is simplifying the check out experience by bringing those items to your phone, representing our next step toward a world without physical wallets.”

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works virtually anywhere plastic cards are accepted. Samsung Pay supports all major payment networks and many of the country’s major financial institutions, and it continues to expand its partnership ecosystem^*. Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.

SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.

ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.

Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

[1] 2015 COLLOQUY Loyalty Census. Rep. COLLOQUY, 9 Feb. 2015. <https://www.colloquy.com/latest-news/2015-colloquy-loyalty-census/>.

Injong Rhee, EVP & Head of R&D, Software and Services of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business, emphasized Samsung Mobile’s strategy to become a provider of meaningful software and services to make the company’s hardware more valuable to consumers during the opening keynote speech of the Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) 2016.

In his speech, Rhee also called for greater collaboration between developers and partners from various industries as the world becomes increasingly connected, and gave attendees a glimpse into the rich possibilities offered by the company’s ecosystem.

Samsung Knox

Samsung Knox is a software platform and an ecosystem for security, which Samsung created by building on its unique device technology. It is the foundation of most of the company’s services including Samsung Pay, Samsung Health and Samsung Connect Auto, which need strong security and data privacy.

Its commitment to interoperability will now be extended beyond Android to include Tizen—an operating system that is expected to play a central role in numerous Internet of Things devices in the near future. Only Samsung, using Tizen and Knox, can offer this combination of an open ecosystem with strong, hardware-based security and global connectivity.

Samsung Pay

In addition to ensuring simplicity and security, Samsung wanted to enable Samsung Pay to be used virtually anywhere. To do this, magnetic secure transmission (MST) was built into the back of the phone, allowing the device to function in the same way that traditional credit cards do.

This is a perfect example of Samsung’s software strategy—where a unique hardware feature is leveraged to enable a new service, one that provides a compelling user experience and delivers real value to consumers.

Samsung is adding to this value through continuous global expansion, as well as by including additional features such as support for membership cards, gift and private label cards, transit cards and online payments.

Samsung Connect Auto

Samsung is seizing opportunities for new applications and services that take advantage of an always-on connection in the car, the biggest platform in the world after mobile.

Working with leading mobile operators, automakers, insurance companies and rental car agencies, Samsung is creating a set of products and services that make driving safer, as well as more eco-friendly, productive and fun. Included among these is Connect Auto, a simple device that plugs into the car’s dashboard.

Samsung is also building an API and SDK on their open platform so developers will be able to build their own applications, and is planning to start a limited beta program this quarter and a public beta program next quarter.

Samsung Health

When Samsung launched S Health in 2012, the company aimed to empower people to live healthier lives by focusing on the pillars of healthy living—diet, activity and sleep. Today, the app is used by 150 million users in more than 130 countries.

Going forward, Samsung is prioritizing three key areas in its health services: empowerment, connectivity and security. The company is also building new services with partners across the healthcare system to solve key industry pain points.

For example, Samsung is working with HealthTap to bring medical expertise to users anytime, anywhere, and is developing remote monitoring technologies with hospitals and partners like Vivify to improve care while reducing costs. Moreover, Samsung is developing chronic disease management solutions that use its phone and wearable data to generate actionable insights and a comprehensive view of the user.

Soundcamp

Soundcamp is Samsung’s music creation app that enables users to record and perform their own songs with no sound lag.

It is not just for musicians. Audio app developers can also use it by integrating it into their own music applications. With Samsung’s Professional Audio SDK, third-party apps can utilize low-latency audio and inter-application audio routing.

Additionally, Samsung is working side by side Google’s Android audio team to make Samsung’s SDK compatible with many other Android devices.

Samsung Gaming

Mobile has become the platform for playing games and the Galaxy S7 was designed with a slew of features to improve the gaming experience for both gamers and developers. It is the first smartphone on the market to support Vulkan and boasts Game Tools and Game Launcher—tools that make gaming more fun and convenient.

Along the same vein, Samsung announced the Galaxy Game Dev Program, which will give developers a direct channel to the company and its partners’ support to allow them to make the best games possible on Samsung devices.

Samsung VR

Samsung believes that 2016 is shaping up to be the year of VR and is working to enable users to create, watch and discover VR content more easily with the Gear 360 camera, the Gear VR headset and the Samsung Milk VR service.

With the introduction of the Gear 360 camera, Samsung also enhanced the way to view Milk VR content by releasing the Milk VR app for the Gear VR. This new companion Android app allows you to enjoy content from Milk VR on your smartphone without GearVR. They also created the samsungmilkvr.com website.

New features have been added to Milk VR to better support developers. The Milk VR upload SDK, for example, allows makers of 360 cameras and 360 video editing tools to directly upload to Milk VR, regardless of the manufacturers. Also, with new tools on samsungmilkvr.com, developers can add interactive hotspots, hyperlinks between two 360 videos, to VR videos.

Samsung is also providing features that let users stream content from hard drives or media servers on local networks. The company plans to release a live streaming SDK in the coming months to allow for the creation of live streaming end points, real time transcoding and distribution to Gear VR users.

SDC 2016 will feature presentations from tech leaders and will offer a number of sessions in which developers can exchange ideas, partake in new experiences and explore potential innovations. Through the conference, Samsung aims to transform the future by combining its hardware, software and services with developers’ ideas.

Samsung Electronics Singapore today announced that Singapore will be the first market in the region to introduce the company’s flagship mobile payment service, Samsung Pay, a secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service that can be used to make purchases almost anywhere² credit and debit cards are accepted. By as early as Q2 2016, Singapore will join South Korea, U.S and China in the list of Samsung’s priority markets to roll out this highly anticipated mobile payment service.

The service will cater to a positive demand in Singapore where 71% of Samsung users have indicated interest in using Samsung Pay once it becomes available. This was based on a research study¹ commissioned by Samsung in February this year on users’ interest in Samsung Pay involving 400 Singapore respondents.

“We are extremely excited that Singapore is the first market in Southeast Asia to roll out Samsung Pay. Singapore’s connectivity and openness are ideal conditions for our new mobile service to thrive, together with the interest and readiness of consumers here in adopting this new method of payment,” said Injong Rhee, EVP and Head of R&D, Software and Services of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung Pay is an example of how Samsung is always striving to introduce new technologies that help to enhance and improve the quality of lives of consumers, especially as Singapore moves towards becoming a Smart Nation. Our goal has always been to drive and lead innovation that matters, and we are happy to extend this into the mobile commerce space.”

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers in Singapore upon its launch. The service has confirmed its partnership with major payment networks – American Express³, MasterCard and Visa, and major banks such as DBS/POSB, OCBC Bank and Standard Chartered.

Deborah Heng, group head and general manager, MasterCard Singapore said, “Mobile phones are becoming indispensable to the daily lives of Singapore’s digitally savvy population who are looking for new ways to pay. According to MasterCard’s Mobile Shopping Survey 2016, digital wallets have seen the fastest uptake amongst Singapore consumers with a four-fold increase over the last year. This partnership with Samsung will offer MasterCard cardholders a new way to make payments simply, securely and swiftly with just a tap of their Samsung mobile phones.”

“Today, more than one in three Singaporeans are making Visa payWave contactless payments, so we believe the time is right for consumers to embrace mobile payments. The introduction of Samsung Pay will continue to help displace cash and help to propel Singapore towards a cashless society. Visa is pleased to work with Samsung to introduce Samsung Pay, enabled by Visa Token Service for secure payments,” said Ms. Ooi Huey Tyng, Visa Country Manager for Singapore and Brunei.

Desmond Tan, Head of Group Lifestyle Financing, OCBC Bank said: “Our partnership with Samsung Pay is an opportunity for us to bring the ease and benefits of mobile payments to our customers. This also allows us to provide our customers with more choice in the payment methods they use. Samsung Pay’s interface is simple, swift and safe to use, and coupled with OCBC’s wide network of commercial partners, which includes major supermarkets, departmental stores and dining outlets, 1.5 million of our card customers can soon choose to adopt mobile payments and rely less on cash.”

Samsung Pay is currently expanding its list of retail and merchant partners to deliver on its promise to provide the service to consumers almost anywhere². Consumers will soon be able to utilise Samsung Pay at the following merchant categories⁴:

• Supermarkets and Convenience Stores
• Departmental Stores
• Healthcare and Beauty Outlets
• Food and Beverage Outlets
• Fashion and Lifestyle Outlets
• Electronics and Furnishing Stores

More Than a Payment Service

A secure and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay can be used to make purchases almost anywhere² that credit and debit cards are accepted.

• SIMPLE: To make a payment on Samsung Pay, consumers simply need to swipe up on their compatible Samsung smartphone to bring up the last transacted credit or debit card, scan their fingerprint and make payment. It’s that easy!
• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenisation and Samsung KNOX. Each transaction uses an encrypted digital token to replace user’s personal payment information and payments can only be authorised with approved fingerprint or PIN. Meantime, Samsung’s industry-leading KNOX security platform monitors malicious software and activities on user’s device for added security and protection.
• ALMOST ANYWHERE²: Samsung Pay is the only mobile payment solution⁵ that lets consumers pay almost anywhere credit and debit cards are accepted. By incorporating Samsung’s proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, together with Near Field Communication (NFC), Samsung Pay will be compatible with the majority of existing and new payment terminals, allowing users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphone almost anywhere² that allows payment by swiping or tapping a credit or debit card.

Samsung is currently expanding its network of partnerships and providing training for cashiers at partnering retailers and merchants in preparation for the roll out of Samsung Pay in Singapore. Samsung will also be engaging consumers to participate in a beta usage trial to test the service ahead of the launch in Q2 2016.

Samsung Pay will be available on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 4G+, Galaxy S6 edge+ 4G+, Galaxy S7 4G+ and S7 edge 4G+ upon its launch in Singapore.

¹Based on research study “Samsung Pay Adoption in Singapore”, February 2016, by YouGov Asia Pacific, commissioned by Samsung
²Availability of Samsung Pay service will require relationships with participating payment networks, banks, retailers and merchants, and may vary at launch. Some payment terminals may require software updates
³Coming Soon after Q2 2016
⁴Subject to changes
⁵Based on compatibility of Samsung Pay service with both MST and NFC payment terminals

Samsung Electronics announced today new partnerships with the world’s largest POS makers, including Verifone (NYSE: PAY), Ingenico Group, First Data and Clover, PAX Technology, Equinox, ID TECH, MagTek, USA ePay and OTI Global, to accelerate mobile payment adoption by ensuring the best possible user experience at merchants’ point-of-sale (POS) systems during checkout. Samsung Pay is the only contactless payment solution that works at over 90 percent of the top 250 retailers and the vast majority of merchants, including small, local businesses.

Working with the largest POS makers, Samsung Pay is driving toward the goal of universal merchant acceptance, which is critical to consumer adoption. Samsung Pay uses both Near Field Communication (NFC) and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). MST is Samsung’s innovative technology that delivers secure transactions for new EMV chip and NFC terminals, as well as traditional, magnetic strip terminals, enabling consumers to use Samsung Pay almost anywhere they can swipe or tap a card. The announced partnerships will help systematically test and validate the different POS systems in the field to ensure maximum compatibility and universal acceptance for Samsung Pay.

Using Samsung Pay is faster than using a chip card, and safer than swiping a mag stripe card because tokenization protects against copy and reuse at even mag-stripe-only terminals.  With tokenization of MST and NFC transactions Merchants receive Card Present rates with no liability shift, regardless of what type of POS terminals they use.

“Consumers love Samsung Pay because it is fast, safe, and so widely accepted by merchants everywhere” said Sang Ahn, Chief Commercial Officer Samsung Pay, Inc. “We are excited to be working with our POS partners to accelerate the adoption of mobile payments and bring greater innovation into the marketplace.”

About Samsung Pay

Samsung Pay, a mobile wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is simple, safe and works virtually anywhere plastic cards are accepted. Samsung Pay supports all major payment networks and many of the country’s major financial institutions, and it continues to expand its partnership ecosystem^*.  Click here for the full list of financial partners that support Samsung Pay.

• SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.

• SAFE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.

• ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals.

For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.

*Samsung Pay is compatible with select cards, Samsung devices, and leading wireless providers. Visit www.samsung.com/pay to learn more. Some card reader terminals may require software updates to be compatible with Samsung Pay.

Samsung Electronics and China UnionPay (CUP) announced the launch of Samsung Pay in China. A simple, safe and easy-to-use mobile payment service, Samsung Pay works virtually anywhere you can swipe or tap your card in China. Samsung Pay will enable users to safely manage and use their debit and credit cards on eligible Samsung mobile phones with CUP.

“We are pleased to be partnering with CUP to bring Samsung Pay to China,” said Injong Rhee, EVP and Head of R&D, Software and Services of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “The reception of Samsung Pay since its launch has been extremely positive and the service has already seen tremendous success in terms of availability and adoption by consumers. In compliance with national laws and regulations, thanks to cooperating with CUP and many banks, we ultimately want to make Samsung Pay available to as many consumers as possible in china, so that everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy the simplicity, safety and convenience of this mobile payment solution.”

“China UnionPay attaches great importance to the security and innovation of payment. In order to follow the tendency of mobile payment in both China and abroad, CUP cooperates with industry to bring safe and convenient mobile payment experience for millions card holders. With the joint efforts of banks and Samsung, based on the safety testing and certification by relevant national testing agency, CUP QuickPass starting Samsung Pay service will bring users safer and more convenient mobile payment choice.” said Hu Ying, Assistant President of UnionPay.

Samsung Pay is currently available on the Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 in China with the opportunity to support additional mid-range models in the future.*

Samsung Pay currently supports select credit and debit cards from nine banks including China CITIC Bank, China Construction Bank, China Everbright Bank, China Guangfa Bank, China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd, China Merchants Bank, Hua Xia Bank , Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Ping An Bank**

Samsung Pay will eventually include future support for select credit and debit cards from six additional banks including Bank of China, Bank of Beijing, Bank of Communications, China Bohai Bank, Industrial Bank and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. Samsung Pay continues to strategically expand its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access, and choice for customers.

To make a payment with Samsung Pay, consumers simply swipe up from Home bottom whether the phone screen is locked, going black or in home screen, scan their fingerprint and pay, which is quite easy and convenient. In term of safety, Samsung Pay has three layers protection, which are fingerprint authentication, tokenization and KNOX. Because of innovative technology, Samsung Pay can be used on both QuickPass POS terminal with NFC and more POS terminals without NFC technology, which is more accepted than other similar applications with only NFC technology.

*Availability may vary by country and region.

**Visit http://support-cn.samsung.com/samsungpay/#box03 for the list of partners that support Samsung Pay.

Polaris-inspired celestial patterns projected on the walls created a dreamy atmosphere for attendees as they entered the venue.

The event began with a video featuring paparazzi-style shots of the event’s guests, and was followed by the screening of a Samsung television commercial that introduced the latest additions to the company’s Galaxy S line-up.

DJ Koh, President of Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business, then took to the stage to introduce the highly anticipated products.

Koh emphasized Samsung’s commitment to “grow together with China” and addressed the importance of the market. He also made mention of the company’s efforts to create features designed specifically for Chinese consumers.

Check out this recap of the event in photos.

A 360-degree round stage and three-sided walls invite attendees to a new time and space.

DJ Koh, President of Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business, opens the event with a speech addressing Samsung’s commitment to the Chinese market, as well as the company’s efforts to create specialized features for Chinese consumers.

DJ Koh presents the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, the newest additions to Samsung’s Galaxy S flagship line-up.

Shane Lee, Head of Samsung Design China discusses the streamlined designs and advanced functions of the new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.

Among the most raved-about enhancements to Samsung’s new devices include advanced cameras, bigger battery capacity and powerful processor.

Samsung begins its global expansion of Samsung Pay in China, starting at the end of March.

Guests get a first look at the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in a product experience zone.

Guests get a first look at the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in a product experience zone.

Guests get a first look at the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in a product experience zone.