Samsung is throwing its hat into the mobile wallet playground with the introduction of its new Samsung Wallet.
The company announced the digital platform’s launch Thursday, positioning it as a “secure mobile application” that can house everything from payment cards to digital smart home keys. The move marks another key player in the tech sector building a digital replacement for physical wallets as similar apps from Google and Apple do the same.
Originally announced in February, Samsung Wallet combines the existing Samsung Pay and Samsung Pass apps, collecting user payment information, passwords, membership credentials and cryptocurrency monitoring through Samsung Blockchain Wallet in one central spot on Samsung devices protected by the Samsung Knox security platform. An update to both apps will migrate users to the new wallet app once they open either Pay or Pass.
A number of third-party relationships extend the use of the app as well. Through a partnership with Korean Air, users can store boarding passes for select Korean Air flights in the app. Digital keys for an array of vehicles can also be housed in it, with it initially covering an array of BMW models launched after July 2020, Genesis’ GV60 and G90 models and the Hyundai Palisade. Samsung stated that it expects to add more automakers in the future.
Samsung Wallet will also have smart home functionality through its partnership with SmartThings, allowing users to control door locks in their home from their Galaxy device. The app also lets users store their Covid-19 vaccination information.
The company plans to add driver’s licenses and student IDs to the list of storable items later this year. Both Apple and Google announced similar plans for their wallet apps, with Apple confirming last week that multiple states will join Arizona and Maryland in adding that functionality to Apple Wallet in the future.
According to Samsung, the app will initially be available in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Spain and will work with Samsung Pay-enabled Galaxy devices running Android 9 Pie or later.