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Google Wallet vs. Samsung Pay: Which tap to pay system is best?
There are some subtle and not-so-subtle differences
Our smartphones have become indispensable digital wallets, and we no longer need to carry physical cards. With Google Wallet and Samsung Pay at the top of the tap-to-pay landscape, choosing the best fit for your needs can be a puzzle. Both apps work on most Android phones and our favorite Android smartwatches. Picking the right one depends on your needs.
What is NFC and how is it used?
NFC (near-field communication) enables many of your phone's best features
NFC, or near-field communication, has been a common acronym on tech devices for years. NFC technology, often denoted by an "N" logo, has become a critical part of our smartphones and smartwatches. You'll also find NFC on smart speakers, tablets, and gaming devices like Nintendo Switch. NFC silently works in the background and allows contactless payments via Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, or Apple Pay. Before we go over its use cases, let's learn more about this proximity-based wireless communication standard.
Your NFC payments could soon be truly contactless
The NFC Forum wants to increase the transmission range six-fold
Sometimes it seems like the opposite is true, but technological advancement generally makes things more convenient. We can comfortably attribute an improvement in the quality of our lives to futuristic features like Hold For Me, Magic Eraser, and contactless payments, among other things. The latter is enabled by the underlying NFC technology baked into the best Android smartphones. This tech has improved since its introduction, but the standard's governing body has big plans for the next five years.
Digital car key support for the Galaxy S21+ and S21 Ultra is finally coming
But only in South Korea for now
There's a good chance your smartphone has already replaced your wallet — I rarely pull out my debit card when making a purchase anymore — and it's coming for your car keys next. In January, Samsung announced its "digital key" feature alongside the Galaxy S21 for any UWB-equipped smartphone, but we haven't heard much about it since. With October's security update now arriving, the company has finally returned with some integration.
Xiaomi's upgraded Mi Band 6 packs NFC for payments and a microphone for Alexa
It's the first time the band has come with NFC outside China
Xiaomi has long made a name for itself in the wearable market and is, in fact, the leading wearable brand worldwide according to Canalys. That's in part thanks to its excellent Mi Smart Band fitness trackers, which have always been praised as affordable but capable alternatives to Fitbit and others. But so far, Xiaomi has never blessed most of its international audience with an NFC-equipped version of its fitness tracker. That's changing today, as the company has announced that it's bringing the Mi Smart Band 6 with NFC to Europe.
Google is consolidating its Titan 2FA security key lineup down to two units
Both equipped with USB and NFC
Although they aren't infallible, Google's Titan 2FA security keys are a great, easy-to-use option for regular users looking to add a physical gadget to their account login methods. Up until today, it's been sold in several different variants, including USB-A and USB-C configurations, along with Bluetooth and NFC options for connecting wirelessly. It's been a few years since this 2FA key launched, making it a perfect time for a quick refresh.
The two things I'd change about Apple Pay after using it for a week
A couple tweaks would make it the ultimate mobile payment platform
I admit it: I was a mobile payment naysayer for years. I always felt that the conversation around tap to pay was a lot of rigamarole — after all, how hard is it to get out your wallet? But, as credit card terminals slowly evolved around the US, so too did my troglodytian attitude about them. I had my phone out when I was in line to check out regardless most of the time, so why not? And then, the whole last year... happened. Mobile payments went from a passive preference to a very active one for me, and many more businesses here in the States that had lagged behind adoption finally ponied up for contactless. Even gas stations — where ancient magstripe readers have remained stubbornly dominant — in my experience, by and large now offer NFC here in California.
Google Pay India adds new cards for tap and pay — these are all the banks it supports so far
Bringing NFC payments to millions of Indians
Read update
Google Pay in India (formerly Tez) quickly rose in popularity to become almost synonymous with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) — the very platform it’s based on. Last September, the company announced plans to expand beyond UPI payments to support tokenized cards, but nothing materialized even months after that initial teaser. It looks like Google Pay India is finally adding credit and debit cards as a supported payment option, though it isn't live for everyone yet.
Google Pay is adding support for UPI payments over NFC
Faster than scanning a QR code or typing in a UPI ID
In India, Google Pay primarily revolves around sending money via UPI, the country's leading digital payment platform. It was only last year that the India-exclusive version of the app got support for debit and credit card payments over NFC. Now, Google is looking to further improve the mobile payment solution with NFC-initiated UPI payments.
OnePlus challenger to Google Pay could be on the way to India
Yet another mobile payment service to choose from
Smartphones make for an excellent distribution channel for services — another source of monetization for companies. Hence, it wasn't surprising when OnePlus announced its own mobile payment system in China last year. It seems like the company is now ready to expand its offering and introduce it to other markets, including India.
The new Google Pay app is out of beta
The old version is still on the Play Store, but won't appear in search results
Google has been working on a new beta version of Pay since November, but the old app has been available on the Play Store for users who aren't ready to transition. At least it was until today: anyone searching the Play Store now will be greeted with only the new app, which is out of testing. The old version is still functional, but should start to disappear as users update.
Tip: Nearby Share has the same tap-to-send NFC support as Android Beam
If you liked the old way of sharing content, you can still do it
Android's new Nearby Sharing feature replaced the old Android Beam last year, and it makes swapping files or other content between Android devices much easier. But if you preferred the tap-based mechanics of the old system, we've got a small surprise for you. Turns out, you can use NFC to bump content between phones with Nearby Sharing just like you could with Android Beam.
YubiKey 5C NFC review: Everybody should have one of these
Secure your accounts for less than 60 bucks
If you're at all serious about online security, you're sure to have at least a passing familiarity with two-factor authentication, or 2FA. Single-use codes sent in text messages or emails are probably the most common type of 2FA, but there are more secure methods. The YubiKey 5C NFC facilitates several of those methods in a small, affordable package: at 55 bucks, it's a pretty fantastic little gadget. Honestly, everybody should have one of these things.
Google launched the stable version of Chrome 88 last week, and that means the beta is up for a new release. And indeed, Google has just promoted Chrome 89 to the beta channel. You can download it from the Play Store or over on APK Mirror right now.
The Galaxy S21 will soon locate your parked car and even unlock it
Digital Key is coming to more Samsung flagships in August
The star of yesterday’s Samsung event was definitely the new Galaxy S21 line, but there were so many more smaller bits of news joining it. One such feature coming to the S21 and other Galaxy phones is Digital Key, which is basically Samsung’s answer to Apple's Car Keys, but with support for a wider range of devices, cars, and even houses.
Simple wireless charging could come to Chromebook styluses via the magic of NFC
A collaboration between the Universal Stylus Initiative and the NFC Forum
A stylus looks cool in your hand (to say nothing of being useful) while sketching out a detailed drawing, but it's a lot less cool when it's sticking out of a charging port to juice up. The Universal Stylus Initiative want to change that with a plan to enable wireless charging for USI styluses — using the NFC technology found on many modern smartphones.
Tap-to-pay issues with Google Pay appear to be affecting phones from Google, OnePlus, and others
"That didn't work."
Paying via NFC with Google Pay is more convenient, safe, and hygienic than swiping a payment card through a seldomly cleaned payment terminal. These days, almost every flagship phone includes the NFC interface required for Google Pay to function. But that doesn't guarantee that tap-to-pay will actually work. Recently, issues have popped up on the Galaxy Note20 Ultra and the Pixel 5 — but it looks like this problem might be much more far reaching.
Google Pay adds support for 24 new banks in 23 countries
Forget your wallet, grab your phone — you've got Google Pay
Google Pay continues to expand its support to additional international banks. To help you keep track of which financial institutions have added their credit and debit cards to the service, we've compiled a list of recent additions. Since we last looked in July, Google's added 24 new banks in 23 countries.
Google Pay is mysteriously not working on some Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra handsets
A bummer if you're in a market without Samsung Pay
Samsung Pay is a big perk of ownership for Samsung's phones. The MST-based system on most of the company's phones works with plenty of card readers that don't actually support contactless payments, and that's especially handy these days. There's not a whole lot of reason to give it up, but if you do want or need to switch to Google Pay and you're using a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, you might run into some trouble.
This digital card from the guys behind Samsung Pay lets you tap to pay without your phone
Plus it's also a Bluetooth tracker
NFC payments are quick, easy, and less germy than swiping a card — but they aren't as widespread as one might think. Samsung uses magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology to make Samsung Pay available at almost any payment terminal around the world, even if the merchant doesn't support NFC platforms like Google Pay or Apple Pay. Now the people behind that tech are back with a new product that promises to simplify the payment process for everyone.