Samsung released the Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic for purchase in Korea in mid-November, and while the new smartwatches are feature-packed, one stands out among them all: Samsung Pay. Samsung unveiled Samsung Pay in 2015 on its Galaxy smartphone lineup, and many have been wondering if (or when) Samsung would bring mobile payments to the wrist. The Korean giant promised it would land shortly after the arrival of the Gear S2, but Gear S2 owners, particularly in the US, had to wait until 2016 to receive the update. Now with the Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic having been out for some months, new buyers are wondering the same thing, especially Korean Gear S3 users who are in love with Samsung’s latest smartwatch lineup.
Well, Samsung has decided to appease its countrymen by bringing Samsung Pay to Gear S3 users in the country. The company says that it worked hard to roll out the feature last Fall but that talks with credit card companies stalled and frustrated the process. Samsung, Lotte, Hana, or Hyundai credit card owners can take advantage of Samsung Pay on their Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic, with KB Kookmin card support to arrive later this month.
Samsung Pay has already arrived for the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic, but these 2015 smartwatches rely on NFC (Near Field Communication) and don’t contain MST (magnetic secure transmission), the foundational feature upon which Samsung Pay is built. Two screenshots give the impression that Samsung Pay for UK Gear S3 users may arrive on May 16th. Samsung Pay has helped the Korean giant gain an advantage over its NFC rivals Apple and Google in the mobile payments sector.
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